FROM THE MARGINS A closer look at The United States’ history of inequality
1 | FROM THE MARGINS
An Overview The United States of America was founded on the idea that “all men are created equal,” but its history has been fraught with discrimination at the hands of the government, its citizens and the different systems it has in place. Many people often forget — or even ignore — that systematic inequalities perpetuate discrimination in the U.S. to this day. The year 2020 has made it increasingly evident that the injustices of hundreds of years ago continue to feed into contemporary social, political and economic problems. Whether it’s the protests over police brutality, the constant political sparring over the election or the disparities that have grown ever clearer with the differing impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on people, America is in a state of disarray not because of new problems, but because of problems that have existed since its inception and have yet to be fully addressed or resolved. As students who are privileged enough to be receiving a college education, and many of whom are white, we recognize the advantages we have and want to preface this magazine by acknowledging that fact. This magazine covers only a small portion of the mistreatment and marginalization that different groups have faced within the country, and while we realize that these are not our stories to tell, it is our responsibility as American citizens to recognize these voices. We hope that a reminder like this — about who controls the history we are taught and how prejudice and mistreatment are a systematic and lasting problem in the U.S.— can help push the conversation a little further in the right direction.
TABLE OF CONTENTS | 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS The Trail of Tears The Last Hawaiian Queen The Wilmington Massacre Japanese Internment Camps The AIDS Crisis Islamophobia The Me Too Movement Closing Remarks
3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17
3 | FROM THE MARGINS
THE TRAIL OF TEARS
A notorious event in a long history of removing Native Americans from their lands The Overview In the 1830s, the American federal government removed the southeastern Native American tribes from their homelands, forcing them to relocate to present-day Oklahoma. The primary tribes that were targeted by the act included Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole.
5
9
MAJOR TRIBAL NATIONS
5,050
MILES TRAVELED
STATES TRAVELED
60,000
NATIVE AMERICANS REMOVED (1830-1850)
northern route
KS IL
benge route
OK
NC
TN
SC
bell route
Where the removal started GA
Where the groups stopped
AK
AL
water route
MS
The Removal More than 10,000 Native Americans lost their lives during the removal or after arriving in the new lands. Choctaw was the first tribe to face removal in 1831, when they were forced off their lands in Mississippi. Between 1836 and 1838, the Creeks, Chickasaws, Cherokees and Seminoles also started being removed. The federal government used coercion to get the tribe leaders to sign the treaties. Some tribe members supported the treaties, whereas many others were infuriated by the proposals, creating divisions within the tribes.
While most every tribe in the original 13 colonies was removed, the Cherokees in western NC today descend from those who hid in the mountains, defying removal. Persons Removed by Tribe
22,000
Key:
19,600
Cherokee Creek Choctaw Chickasaw
4,000
12,500
a very small glimpse of
Interactions with the U.S. and Native American Tribes
Treaty of Hopewell The treaty is signed between U.S. Reps. and Cherokee Indians. It lays out a western boundary for American Settlement in return for protection from U.S.
Indian Removal Act The U.S. Congress passes the Indian Removal Act, which forcibly relocates five large Indian tribes.
Treaty of New Echota This treaty grants the Cherokee nation a delegate in the U.S. House of Reps.
Treaty of Waitangi Maori tribal leaders sign the Treaty of Waitangi with English settlers, establishing the terms for white settlement of the land.
1785
1830
1835
1840
THE TRAIL OF TEARS | 4
“
The napkin gets folded and the U.S. comes to the tribes and says,‘You know what, you don't really need all that land... and it goes on and on until there is such little left.’ Melody McCoy, Cherokee Nation Member
”
Where Are We Now? genocide: the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political or cultural group (merriam-webster)
Since the Indian Removal Act in the 1800s, a limited amount of reparations have been made, and tribes are still fighting the government today for sovereignty and rights to the land that has continually been chipped away.
US Land Settled vs Native Population
2,000K Key: US Land Settled (sq. miles) Native Population
1,500K 1,000K 500K 0
1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 Year
Narrative Account
While there are hardly any narrative accounts from Native Americans who were forcefully removed, John G. Burnett was a Cherokee messenger who spoke about the removal. He said, “The trail of the exiles was a trail of death. They had to sleep in the wagons and on the ground without fire. And I have known as many as 22 of them to die in one night of pneumonia due to ill treatment, cold, and exposure.” Burnett traveled with the Cherokee from October of 1838 until they reached Oklahoma on March 26, 1839.
Dawes Act Congress passes this act, permitting the sale of Native lands to non-Native Americans, further fragmenting their territories.
Alcatraz American Indians occupy Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay in an effort to force the U.S. government to give greater autonomy to Native Americans.
Gaming Regulatory Act Congress passes this Act, which paves the way for Native Americans to set up casinos. It fosters rapid growth in the casino industry and provides much-needed revenue for Native American communities.
1887
1969
1988
In the summer of 2020, the Muscogee Creek Nation in Oklahoma was given jurisdiction over all native people within its borders — a power that still hasn’t been given to other tribes in the U.S.
As recently as September 2020, two high schoolers in Florida held up a poster that read, “Hey Indians get ready to live in a Trail of Tears” while playing the Choctawhatchee High School Indians.
TRAIL OF TEARS 2020
5 | FROM THE MARGINS
THE LAST HAWAIIAN QUEEN The coup that dethroned Lili‘uokalani, the last monarch of Hawai‘i On Jan. 17, 1893, the Hawaiian Monarchy was overthrown by the Committee of Safety, a group of thirteen white businessmen who opposed the Monarchy’s attempts to retain power and dilute outsider influence in the government.
King Kamehameha The founder and first monarch of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i
The Kingdom of Hawai‘i Queen Lili‘uokalani, who succeeded her brother King Kalakaua in 1891, was the monarch of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i until the coup. Her proposal of a new constitution that would restore powers to the monarchy and extend the voting rights of native Hawaiians angered many white businessmen, who formed the Committee of Safety to challenge the monarchy and seek annexation by the United States. The queen surrendered peacefully after the Committee’s militia, joined by 162 U.S. Marines and Navy Sailors, gathered near the palace in Honolulu.
The difference between Hawai‘i and Hawaii is the ‘okina. ‘Hawai‘i’is used when referring to the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, before U.S. interventions. Afterward, the ‘okina is only used for the individual island called Hawai‘i, not the state.
The Republic of Hawaii
A provisional government was established called the “Republic of Hawaii,” headed by Sanford B. Dole. President Grover Cleveland opposed the new government and called for the queen to be restored, but the Republic of Hawaii refused and in 1898, the United States annexed Hawaii.
The Coup and Annexation of Hawaii
Queen Lili‘uokalani
The last queen of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i
Queen Dethroned The Committee of Public Safety declares the throne vacant. Sanford B. Dole submits the annexation treaty.
New Government Established Dole’s government declares itself “The Republic of Hawaii,” and Queen Lili‘uokalani is imprisoned in her palace.
Hawaii is Annexed All Hawaiian lands are ceded to the U.S. The Hawaiian flag is lowered and shredded.
1893
1894
1898
THE LAST HAWAIIAN QUEEN | 6
Kauai
The Haw aiia n
Oahu
Hawaii Today
Hawaii had more than 10.4 million visitors in 2019; however, the same year, Native Hawaiians made up only 27% of the total population.
Isl a Maui
Molokai
s nd
Native Hawaiian Home Lands
Lanai
The Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 included a provision to protect public lands to be used as native Hawaiian homesteads.
Island of Hawai‘i The Hawaiian Home Lands make up barely 5% of the total land in Hawaii.
A land trust was set up with over 200,000 acres across the islands called the “Hawaiian Home Lands,” to be given to native Hawaiians for residential, agricultural, and pastoral uses.
Program Failures As of 2018, over 22,000 people were on the waiting list for residential land. Applicants often end up waiting decades before being considered for land. At the same time, high mortgage rates make it difficult for native Hawaiians to buy or build homes on these lands.
Native Hawaiian Demographics from 1853-2010 Hawaiian
Part Hawaiian
Other
75% 50%
0 201
0 200
199 0
0 198
0 197
196 0
0 195
0 194
193 0
0 192
1910
190 0
0 189
8 187
186 6
0%
3
25% 185
Percentage of Population
100%
In 1853, native Hawaiians made up 97% of the total population in Hawaii, while in 2010 only 21.3% of the population is native. The total population of Hawaiian people has grown over 400% since 1853, yet they continue to represent less and less of their home.
Year
Hawaii Becomes a Territory President McKinley’s Organic Act makes Hawaii a U.S. territory with Dole as governor.
1900
Starting in 1900, different census data was taken that grouped both partial and fully Hawaiian people together.
Official Statehood Hawaii becomes a U.S. state.
U.S. Congress Apology The government acknowledges its role in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy.
1959
1993
7 | FROM THE MARGINS
THE WILMINGTON MASSACRE
How white supremacists carried out a mass murder of Black citizens in a town coup
In the late 1800s, Wilmington, NC was a predominantly Black city, whose government officials reflected the diversity of the general population. Preceding the 1898 election, Democrats and white supremacists created anti-Black propaganda using speeches, cartoons and threats in attempts to drive the Republican party out of Wilmington. During this campaign, white men in and around Wilmington threatened to lynch Black men if they registered to vote. On Election Day, November 8th 1898, white supremacists beat Black voters and stuffed ballot boxes, leading to a Democratic win.
Wilmington Population Demographics Percentage of Population
Black Lives in Wilmington
There are competing preferences for using Black versus African American. We have chosen to use Black because of its inclusion of people who may not identify specifically as African American.
100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
Key: Black White Other
1890
1900 Year
Two years before the white supremacist campaign and the Wilmington massacre, 126,000 Black men were registered to vote in North Carolina. Four years after the massacre, No Black citizen in that number was 6,100. Wilmington served in public office again until:
1972
2019
Wilmington has not had a majority Black population since the massacre.
No Black citizen from North Carolina served in U.S. Congress again until:
1992
“
Thousands of women, children and men rushed to the swamps and there lay upon the earth in the cold to freeze and starve. The woods were filled with colored people. The streets were dotted with their dead bodies. Rev. J. Allen Kirk
Combating Voter Suppression
�
24th Amendment This amendment guarantees that the right to vote in federal elections will not be denied for failure to pay.
Voting Rights Act This act bans the use of literacy tests, regulates voter registration, and authorizes the investigation of the use of poll taxes.
1964
1965
THE WILMINGTON MASSACRE | 8
The Massacre On Nov. 10, 1898, a violent mob of white militiamen, who at the time still served as U.S. soldiers, took to the streets of Wilmington to attack and kill Black citizens. Anywhere from 60 to 300 Black Americans were killed. Many Black citizens who didn’t die in the shooting were escorted at gunpoint by the militiamen to the train station, forced to leave the city.
Significant Locations
Legend
The mob ransacked The Daily Record office, the only Black-owned daily newspaper in the country, and burned down the building at 9 a.m. A standoff between Black workers and armed white men occurred at the Cotton Compress between 9 and 11 a.m.
Cape Fear River
March to the Daily Record
Shots were fired at North Fourth and Wilmington Harnett streets. Mass Courthouse shooting began at 11 a.m. Black Americans were shot near the Fourth Street Bridge. The mob shot at Black residences and places of worship, including St. Stephen AME Church.
Path of Gunmen
Black citizens killed
Downtown Wilmington, NC
Where Are We Now? Voter Suppression Despite government attempts to prevent voter suppression, many states have passed regulations which make it harder for many Americans, especially people of color, to exercise their right to vote. These include cuts to early voting, voter ID laws, and purges of voter rolls. Black and Hispanic voters are
National Voter Registration Act This act allows citizens to register to vote at DMVs and public assistance centers, widening accessibility.
ID in NC District Judge rules North Carolina cannot enact new voter ID requirements and must stop any communications that state that a photo ID will be required for the 2020 elections.
1993
2019
more likely to experience these barriers than white voters.
Racism in Policing
Approximately 1 in 4 Black Americans do not have a government issued photo ID.
In June of 2020, three Wilmington police officers were fired after they were recorded using hate speech towards Black people, one in particular used horrible racist language in a discussion about the Black Lives Matter protests in memory of George Floyd, who was killed in police custody.
9 | FROM THE MARGINS
JAPANESE INTERNMENT CAMPS
The wartime detention of Japanese Americans that was fueled by fear What Led to it All? Following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the U.S. government declared war on Japan. President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order in early 1942 that created internment camps for Japanese Americans to prevent the perceived threat of Japanese espionage.Though the United States no longer has internment camps, the detention centers at the U.S. and Mexico border resemble the harsh conditions observed a few decades prior.
“
I will never forget the shocking feeling that human beings were behind this fence like animals. Mary Tsukamoto, Internment camp survivor
”
Mary and her daughter were detained in internment camps from May 1942 to November 1943, when they were released.
Camps and Exclusion Zones There were 10 Japanese internment camps across the country between 1942-1946. The camps were located in remote areas — often reconfigured fairgrounds, racetracks and buildings — not meant for human habitation. Food shortages and substandard sanitation were prevalent in these facilities. Anyone who was at least 1/16th Japanese was evacuated, including 17,000 children under the age of 10, as well as the elderly and handicapped.
Key:
Internment camp Exclusion zone
WWII Internment to Modern-Day Detention
The massive West Coast exclusion zone was created in an attempt to remove every person of Japanese descent from the designated area. Japanese Americans were also removed from the whole state of Alaska.
Arresting Citizens On December 7, the FBI arrests 1,291 Japanese community and religious leaders without evidence.
Executive Order 9066 President Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066, establishing Japanese internment camps after the Pearl Harbor bombing.
Limited Reparations President Reagan signs the Civil Liberties Act to apologize to more than 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry. The law authorizes survivor reparations.
DACA for Dreamers President Obama signs DACA, which temporarily shields some dreamers from deportation, but does not provide a path to citizenship.
1941
1942
1988
2012
JAPANESE INTERNMENT CAMPS | 10
Immigration Today Silvia Rodriguez was born in Chihuahua, Mexico and immigrated to Arizona with her parents when she was two years old. She did not realize what it meant to be undocumented until about 14 years later. Even though she applied and was accepted to Arizona State University, she became ineligible for the financial aid she depended on during her second year. Despite this setback, Rodriguez was able to graduate with the help of her professors and fundraisers. However, after she graduated, she found she could not apply to some jobs as an undocumented immigrant and sometimes had no place to live. US Immigrants in 2017 Key:
23%
Legal immigrants Illegal immigrants
Apprehensions at U.S.-Mexico Border
Number of Apprehensions
852
Key:
800K
Single adults
77% Increase in apprehensions is largely due to the growing number of migrants seeking asylum.
Unaccompanied minors
600K
Family Units
76 400K 474
200K
‘13 ‘14 ‘15 ‘16 ‘17 ‘18 ‘19 Year
Do Not Enter President Trump passes travel bans for six majority Muslim countries, North Korea and Venezuela.
Border Detention President Trump separates migrant children from their parents and opens detention centers.
2017
2018-2019
Camps at the U.S.—Mexico Border The Trump administration ordered the detainment of people at the border who entered the US illegally, stayed past the date of their visa or those exercising their right to apply for asylum. Here is a glimpse into some of the issues faced at the border. At least
7
children died in US custody in 2019. There were no deaths in the 10 years prior to 2019.
The conditions within which they are held could be compared to torture facilities.
“
”
Physician Dolly Lucio Sevier
900
people were held in El Paso, Texas in cells designed for
125
More than
11,000 children were held by the government on any given day.
11 | FROM THE MARGINS
THE AIDS CRISIS
How government inaction led to public activism US Deaths From HIV, 1981 - 2018
How Did the Crisis Start?
60K Number of Deaths
Throughout the summer of 1981, young, previously healthy gay men in New York and Los Angeles were diagnosed with rare forms of cancer and pneumonia. Scientists at the Center for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health were perplexed, unable to identify the cause of the illnesses or offer effective treatments. By the end of the year, there were over 300 cases and 130 deaths from the so-called “gay cancer.”
50K 40K 30K 20K 10K 0
Can you imagine what it must be like if you had lost 20 of your friends in the last 18 months?
“
”
Larry Kramer, 1983 How HIV Affects the Body
Mouth Sores, Thrush Skin Rash
Liver & Spleen Enlargement
Tracing the AIDS Pandemic
Central Nervous System Malaise, Headaches Lymph nodes Lymphadenopathy
Stomach Nausea, Vomiting
First Cases The CDC reports cases of rare, fatal illnesses appearing among gay men.
1981
1995: The FDA approves HAART, a treatment for HIV
What is HIV/AIDS? Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) weakens the body’s immune system by attacking T cells, which help fight off infection. When left untreated, HIV can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a condition that makes individuals more vulnerable to life-threatening diseases. Though associated with gay men, HIV spreads regardless of sexual orientation through unprotected sex, needle sharing, blood transfusions, breastfeeding and pregnancy.
Media Attention Randy Shilts’ bestseller And the Band Played On draws mainstream attention to AIDS and government inaction.
1987
Year
THE AIDS CRISIS | 12
Government Non-response
In 1985, Congress allocated $190 million for AIDS research.
In 1983, Congress approved $12 million for AIDS research. As CDC doctor Don Francis noted, “The inadequate funding to date has seriously restricted our work and has presumably deepened the invasion of this disease into the American population.” Congress didn’t increase funding until 1985. Many public officials treated AIDS with derision. Representative Bill Dannemeyer used the crisis to vilify homosexuality, while White House Press Secretary Larry Speaks called reporters who asked questions about AIDS “fairies.”
Activist Responses Frustrated and fearful, activists created Gay Men’s Health Crisis in 1982. GMHC raised money for research, developed educational campaigns and provided crisis counseling to those with AIDS. In 1987, the group ACT UP formed and became known for its dramatic public protests. These demonstrations included a successful 1988 negotiation with the FDA for increased access to experimental AIDS treatments.
AIDS Today In 2018, 37,968 Americans were diagnosed with HIV, and disparities in healthcare have made women, Black and Latinx communities increasingly vulnerable. Medications that manage the virus cost as much as $3,500 per month. 1 in 7 people with HIV don’t know they have it. The South accounted for 54% of new HIV diagnoses and 47% of AIDS-related deaths in 2018.
HIV Diagnoses by Race
0.6% 14%
0.1%
1981 - 1987
25%
1% 2%
2% 25%
27%
2014 - 2018
60%
42% Black Native American
White Asian
Latinx Mixed race
HIV Diagnoses by Gender
8%
19% 2014 - 2018
1981 - 1987
81%
92% Men
Women
HIV Diagnoses by State, 2018
Per 100,000 people 0.0 - 5.0
5.1 - 8.6
8.7 - 13.8
13.9 - 45.7
Too Little, Too Late President Ronald Reagan makes his first speech about AIDS after six years of silence and over 40,000 lives lost to the AIDS pandemic.
Stop the Church ACT UP stages Stop the Church to protest the Catholic Church’s opposition to teaching safe-sex practices.
Treatment Comes The FDA approves HAART, which greatly lowers levels of HIV in the body.
1987
1989
1995
13 | FROM THE MARGINS
ISLAMOPHOBIA
The conflation of Islam with terrorism and how it has created problems for Muslim Americans Attacks Against Muslims
The attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001 could be considered a spark for Islamophobia in the U.S. Anyone who wore a turban or hijab, had brown skin, or looked even relatively Middle-Eastern, was identified as potentially dangerous by police, airline workers and other citizens. The number of hate crimes against Muslims and those who looked like them — usually Sikh men who wore turbans due to their religious beliefs — increased after 9/11 and peaked again in 2016.
Laws and Legislation North Carolina In North Carolina, a hate crime is a misdemeanor, and there are no laws prosecuting hate crimes as felonies. A 2019 bill was introduced that would create an SBI hate crime database, as well as making hate crimes a felony.
Federal A hate crime is defined as causing willful bodily harm because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion or national origin of another person. In order to protect freedom of speech, it is important to make a clear distinction between hateful speech, which is legal, and crimes motivated by bias, which are illegal. Prosecuting someone for a hate crime is difficult because there has to be proof, beyond a reasonable doubt, that not only did the offender commit a crime, but did so because of bias.
In 2001, and again during the 2016 presidential campaigns, the FBI saw a rise in anti-Islamic hate crimes. Because some states don’t report hate crimes to the FBI, numbers in the graph below are expected to be higher. In addition to attacks against people, anti-Islamic hate crimes include vandalism and arson at mosques and schools. Anti-Muslim Assaults Reported to the FBI
120 Number of Assaults
The Aftermath of 9/11
90 60 30 0 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 Year
Surveying Muslim-Americans Findings from a 2017 survey reported that U.S. Muslims, although concerned, continued to believe in the American Dream. Is there discrimination against Muslims in the US?
Are you proud to be an American?
Key:
75%
Yes No Don’t Know
* Islamophobia existed before 9/11
Events Surrounding Islamophobia in the U.S.
Tragedy on 9/11 Al-Qaeda attacks the World Trade Center, which spurs a rise in Islamophobia.*
2001
Creation of Dept. of Homeland Security Soon after 9/11, efforts are made to add stricter security for travel, including random searches.
2002
Invasion of Iraq The U.S. cites fake * evidence of WMDs being manufactured, and invades Iraq and overthrows Saddam Hussein.
2003
92% * Weapons of Mass Destruction UNC student shooting Craig Hicks kills Deah Barakat, Razan and Yusor Abu-Salha at home.
2015
ISLAMOPHOBIA | 14
Deah Barakat, Razan and Yusor Abu-Salha
Lives Cut Short On Feb. 10, 2015, Craig Hicks killed three muslim students in their home in Chapel Hill: Deah Barakat, 23, his wife, Yusor Abu-Salha, 21, and her sister, Razan Abu-Salha, 19. Hicks confronted the trio at the door of their home over a parking space. He first threatened Barakat and then almost immediately started shooting. The father of the sisters said there were no incidents between Barakat and Hicks until Yusor, who wore a hijab, moved in with Barakat. The assistant district attorney stated that on the day Yusor moved in, Hicks said to Abu-Salha’s mother, who also wears a hijab, “I don’t like the look of you people. Get out of here.” According to prosecutors, Hicks was known to be rude to white neighbors, but would threaten violence to non-white neighbors. While Hicks wasn’t indicted for a hate crime, what should have been a parking dispute turned into a murder.
Trump on CNN “We're having problems with the Muslims, and we're having problems with Muslims coming into the country.”
Muslim Ban Executive Order 13769 bans seven largely Muslim countries and other refugees from entering the U.S. for 90 and 120 days, respectively, and bans Syrian refugees from entering the country indefinitely.
2016
2017
There are no words to express my sorrow but at the same time, I am very happy that the whole world knows who they were, and their legacy is not going to die— it’s going to live forever.
“
Mussarut Jabeen, 2015
”
A Conflicted Future
DHS intelligence finds that citizens from banned countries do not pose a terror threat to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling In a 5-4 decision, the court upholds the Muslim ban.
2018
In 2019, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib are the first Muslim women elected to Congress. Both are sworn in on the Quran. In 2020, President Trump re-tweets a fake image of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer wearing a hijab and turban with a caption describing them as “corrupted.”
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
15 | FROM THE MARGINS
THE ME TOO MOVEMENT
A social media revolution that has given sexual assualt survivors a voice How It Started
Tara na
ke Bur
Tarana Burke is an activist from the Bronx, NY. She became interested in activism at a young age, focusing on issues regarding racism and housing and economic inequality. Over time, her focus began to shift to helping sexual assault survivors — primarily women of color — because Burke had also experienced sexual assault in her youth. While Burke was working at a youth camp, a girl named Heaven asked to speak with her privately. She confided in Burke that she was being sexually abused by her mom’s boyfriend. As a survivor of sexual assault, Burke found it difficult to listen to the horrific details of Heaven’s story for long and tried to direct her to a different leader for help.
“
I couldn’t even bring myself to whisper the words circling my mind and soul: me too Tarana Burke
Immediately it was clear that Heaven had shut down again and lost trust in Burke. Heaven never returned to the youth camp, and to this day it haunts Burke that she was unable to even tell Heaven “me too.”
”
Alyssa Milano
MeToo An International Platform for Sexual Assault Survivors
Heaven A young girl named Heaven confides in Burke about being sexually abused, but Burke is unable to listen to her story and turns her away.
Founding Burke founds the Me Too Movement, based on the two words she was unable to say to comfort Heaven nine years before.
#MeToo Actress Alyssa Milano encourages women on Twitter to use #MeToo to bring awareness to the prevalence of sexual assault in society.
1997
2006
2017
THE ME TOO MOVEMENT | 16
National Action Since the Me Too Movement, a number of states have passed or are in the midst of passing legislation that limits non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). NDAs silence victims of sexual harassment while empowering perpetrators. They forbid employees to speak negatively about their employer or disclose instances of harassment and discrimination.
Passed NDA Legislation Pending NDA Legislation
Intersectionality Indigenous women are nearly
81%
3x
of women experience some form of sexual harassment or assault in their lifetime.
more likely to experience sexual assault than any other ethnic group in the U.S.
Current Events Oct 2018
Over 300 state legislators committed to supporting survivors and strengthening protections against sexual harassment and violence in #20statesby2020.
Feb 2020 A New York state court jury found director Harvey Weinstein guilty of criminal sexual assault in the first degree and rape in the third degree.
July 2020 42.6%
16.7%
Black women
White women
Black women are more likely to have weapons used in their assaults compared to white women.
Government Legislation
As many as 6 in 10 migrant women and girls experience sexual violence.
Spc. Vanessa Guillen was found dead at an army base, believed to have been bludgeoned to death by a fellow soldier. Two months before her death, Guillen told her family she was being sexually harassed by one of her sergeants. She never reported any sexual harassment and her sister said that was because Guillen thought it wouldn’t be taken seriously. Women in the army shared their stories of sexual assault on Twitter using #IAmVanessaGuillen.
EMPOWER Act Bipartisan lawmakers introduce the act, which bans non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements related to harassment.
Accountability Congress passes legislation requiring members to pay for the cost of settlements and court judgments brought against them for sexual harassment.
Be Heard This workplace anti-harassment bill is introduced in Congress. As of Nov. 2020, it has yet to be passed.
2018
2018
2019
17 | FROM THE MARGINS
“
The greatest distance you can travel in the shortest amount of time is by asking someone their name. Amal Kassir, 2016 TedX Talks
”
IN CLOSING | 18
In Closing As a class of UNC students, we recognize that these are not our stories, but it is our responsibility to listen and observe. We’ve seen time and again that history repeats itself, and the events of 2020 are no exception. If this year has shown us anything, it’s that far too many voices have gone unheard for centuries. For each marginalized group, we were merely scratching the surface of their experiences, and there are still more groups who were not mentioned in the magazine. It was our goal, however, to shed light on how much marginalization and oppression have spread through this country, often coinciding with feelings of false superiority, ignorance and fear. In addition to understanding how these events transpired and the effects they have on people today, we have to remind ourselves that we should actively try to understand our own biases and work toward eradicating them. Beyond large-scale changes that need to take place, changes at the individual level are essential. Perhaps the first step is a conversation with a friend or a quick google search to learn more. Take time to process what has been discussed here by the voices from the margins, voices that deserve recognition, reparations and respect.
Sources • abc11.com • abcnews.go.com • aclu.org • aclu-wa.org • aljazeera.com • apa.org • apnews.com • bringinghistoryhome.org • britannica.com • capefearmuseum.com • cdc.gov • census.hawaii.gov • charlotteobserver.com • cnn.com • criminaldefenselawyer.com • dhhl.hawaii.gov • digital.ncdcr.gov • dornsife.usc.edu • facingsouth.org • fbi.gov • files.hawaii.gov • georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov • gmhc.org • healthline.com • history.com • hiv.gov • indivisible.org • ispu.org • law.cornell.edu • littler.com • merriam-webster.com • metoomvmt.org • nbclatino.com • nbcnews.com • ncdcr.gov • ncleg.gov • npr.org • nps.gov • nwfdailynews.com • nytimes.com • ohadatabook.com • pbs.org • pewforum.org • pewresearch.org • propublica.org • spectrumlocalnews.com • theatlantic.com • time.com • twitter.com • washingtonpost.com • womenshistory.org • wunc.org • yesmagazine.org • “Progress in Advancing Me Too Workplace Reforms in #20Statesby2020” by Andrea Johnson, Kathryn Menefee and Ramya Sekaran • “Saving Indigenous Peoples” by Brian Beary via CQ Researcher • “Sexual Harassment” by Lisa Rabasca Roepe via CQ Researcher • “The Muslim on the Airplane” by Amal Kassir on TedX • Vintage paper texture from thegraphicsfairy.com • U.S. map graphic by Mini Stock via Vecteezy
The Team Art Director
Stephanie Mayer
Content Director Hailey Haymond
Assistant Art Directors Katherine Ozturk Shubha Parekh
Designers Sofia Alba Evan Davison Modupe Fabilola Gina Flow Michael Gawlik Kendal Orrantia Jill Pownall Kelli Rainer Alicia Robbins Anna Roberts Jadah Smith
Special Thanks Terence Oliver Stephanie Brown Laura Carroll Frances Causey David Zucchino