The problem of White Supremacy - Spinoff from Buffalo Shooting thread

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ChrisinNOLA said:
We got a problem at Sesame Place

The Sesame Place Controversy, Explained

One family has filed a $25 million class action lawsuit over “pervasive and appalling race discrimination” at Sesame Place.
www.glamour.com


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I wouldn’t say conclusive yet, but this article has 2 other clips showing similar possible snubs

'Sesame Street' Character Who Snubbed Two Black Girls in Viral Video Seen Snubbing Other Black Kids in Newly Emerged Footage

A "Sesame Street" character at Sesame Place Philadelphia sparked controversy after a viral video appeared to show the character snubbing two young Black girls asking for a hug.
www.ibtimes.sg
 
kizzy821 said:
That's a damn shame. You can't escape it anywhere. It starts when they are babies and haven't even done anything except be born Black.
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And maybe I’m projecting, but I see the mom’s struggling with how much burden they want to put on their babies shoulders. Like, ‘am I going to explain to a 3yr old what life is really like?’
 
guidomerkinsrules said:
And maybe I’m projecting, but I see the mom’s struggling with how much burden they want to put on their babies shoulders. Like, ‘am I going to explain to a 3yr old what life is really like?’
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That's always the dilemma. And they likely keep putting it off because what's a good age to tell a child they are the 'wrong' color. I can't even imagine that conversation.
 
kizzy821 said:
That's always the dilemma. And they likely keep putting it off because what's a good age to tell a child they are the 'wrong' color. I can't even imagine that conversation.
Click to expand...

A series of now-viral videos continue to circulate on social media showing real incidents of character performers at Sesame Place Philadelphia seemingly ignoring Black children who are visibly excited to meet their favorite television stars.

In the first of the videos, two Black girls reach out to a performer dressed as Rosita when the character appears to reject the interaction. Immediately following the viral post, the park made a statement contrary to what social media commenters considered an act of racism, as Blavity previously reported.

However, soon after the release of that statement, more videos of other character performers appearing to ignore Black children began to appear. Sesame Place has since released an updated statement that speaks to an inherent need for performer training. But, for the impacted families whose excited children were not shown the proper attention from these characters, the damage is already done.

To explore the potential long-term effects of such incidents, Blavity sat down with Jaime Hilton, LCSW, a domestic adoption social worker who focuses on attachment concerns with children and families.

While Hilton is a licensed clinical social worker, she saw the video through a similar lens as many viewers, noting the obvious looks of disappointment the two girls showed. However, as a trained professional, Hilton also noticed the potential for residual mental harm.

“When you’re that age, in that developmental stage, you’re very impressionable. The way that people respond to you or don’t is really important,” Hilton told Blavity. “So obviously, the number one thing that I felt even watching them as I look at their facial expressions is disappointment.”

She said that such an interaction could present to young children that they are unwanted.

“Some of the messages are definitely that you are unwanted, that you are unworthy of someone’s attention, whether it’s a character. And of course, you know, as a social worker, I’m thinking about situations in which I have worked with children where perhaps they’ve had adults in their life who were their caretakers or people beyond parents, who maybe were emotionally negligent or just overall absent in their lives. A lot of the time as they grow up, the message is ‘I’m not wanted’ or ‘I’m not worthy of attention and love.’ And so when you feel like you are not worth the attention of a simple character that’s dressed up in costume, it does send that message that you’re not valuable. And so as you grow up, it affects your self-esteem. It impacts the way that you view yourself in the world. So, it has long-lasting effects.”.................

The first video of the two girls that surfaced is only about 10 seconds long, but Hilton said that’s enough time to present long-lasting emotional side effects.

“Even though this is just a 10-second clip, it has long-lasting effects on their lives if this is a continuous situation for them,” she said. “Now, if they are in a family where they have loving adults that are constantly showing them that they are valued, how they’re valued, then a situation like this may just be one of those things that we just go home and talk it out.”

Hilton said that Black families likely have a harder time speaking life into their children as the world around them often presents such challenges on a more regular basis.

“Our job as parents gets a little harder because we have to constantly explain to our children that the messages that they’re receiving from the world that they’re in on a daily basis is not the truth,” she said. “And so it does become one of those situations where again, a load is placed on our shoulders to be able to ensure that these situations are not something that they internalize over time.”.........

 
Optimus Prime said:
A series of now-viral videos continue to circulate on social media showing real incidents of character performers at Sesame Place Philadelphia seemingly ignoring Black children who are visibly excited to meet their favorite television stars.

In the first of the videos, two Black girls reach out to a performer dressed as Rosita when the character appears to reject the interaction. Immediately following the viral post, the park made a statement contrary to what social media commenters considered an act of racism, as Blavity previously reported.

However, soon after the release of that statement, more videos of other character performers appearing to ignore Black children began to appear. Sesame Place has since released an updated statement that speaks to an inherent need for performer training. But, for the impacted families whose excited children were not shown the proper attention from these characters, the damage is already done.

To explore the potential long-term effects of such incidents, Blavity sat down with Jaime Hilton, LCSW, a domestic adoption social worker who focuses on attachment concerns with children and families.

While Hilton is a licensed clinical social worker, she saw the video through a similar lens as many viewers, noting the obvious looks of disappointment the two girls showed. However, as a trained professional, Hilton also noticed the potential for residual mental harm.

“When you’re that age, in that developmental stage, you’re very impressionable. The way that people respond to you or don’t is really important,” Hilton told Blavity. “So obviously, the number one thing that I felt even watching them as I look at their facial expressions is disappointment.”

She said that such an interaction could present to young children that they are unwanted.

“Some of the messages are definitely that you are unwanted, that you are unworthy of someone’s attention, whether it’s a character. And of course, you know, as a social worker, I’m thinking about situations in which I have worked with children where perhaps they’ve had adults in their life who were their caretakers or people beyond parents, who maybe were emotionally negligent or just overall absent in their lives. A lot of the time as they grow up, the message is ‘I’m not wanted’ or ‘I’m not worthy of attention and love.’ And so when you feel like you are not worth the attention of a simple character that’s dressed up in costume, it does send that message that you’re not valuable. And so as you grow up, it affects your self-esteem. It impacts the way that you view yourself in the world. So, it has long-lasting effects.”.................

The first video of the two girls that surfaced is only about 10 seconds long, but Hilton said that’s enough time to present long-lasting emotional side effects.

“Even though this is just a 10-second clip, it has long-lasting effects on their lives if this is a continuous situation for them,” she said. “Now, if they are in a family where they have loving adults that are constantly showing them that they are valued, how they’re valued, then a situation like this may just be one of those things that we just go home and talk it out.”

Hilton said that Black families likely have a harder time speaking life into their children as the world around them often presents such challenges on a more regular basis.

“Our job as parents gets a little harder because we have to constantly explain to our children that the messages that they’re receiving from the world that they’re in on a daily basis is not the truth,” she said. “And so it does become one of those situations where again, a load is placed on our shoulders to be able to ensure that these situations are not something that they internalize over time.”.........

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That certainly won't be the only time something like that happens to them.

Society reinforces it, over-and-over again.

Then, when these kids grow up and view everything through a racial lens, the "Rosita's" of the world will complain about them 'playing the race card.'

You create and perpetuate a problem, then get mad when people try to correct it.

Who knows what Rosita looks like under that costume, but if Sesame Place made known their efforts to start hiring more African-American performers - imagine the sheer forkin' butthurt that would ensue.

(See affirmative action and The Rooney Rule as examples)
 
guess this can go here
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A Black college student says that after she avoided campus “paparazzi” at her predominantly white institution all year, she still ended up on her college's website.

Yaël Nkoy Iyema (@jaelwritess), a student at the University of Denver, posted a TikTok calling out the "diversity paparazzi" at her school for using a photo of her, a student of color, on the front page of its housing website on June 30. The photo shows her and another student smiling.

In the video, Iyema shows the photo of her the university used after saying she spent the “entire year trying to avoid the diversity paparazzi at my [predominantly white institution].” She wrote in the video’s caption that she “DIDNT EVEN KNOW UNTIL MOVE OUT WEEK.”

Iyema commented on her video that Black students make up 2% of the population of the University of Denver, and the university reported Black students making up 3% of the population in 2018.

Despite having historically low percentages of racial diversity across student bodies, predominantly white institutions are known for featuring photos of students of color on campus marketing materials.

And many commenters on Iyema’s video related to her experience.

“I was all over my campus diversity photos for 7 years,” @f0chadilla commented. “I graduated in 4.”

“Chileeee you would have thought I was the class President of my college with all the pics,” @karessacamille commented

“I used to think it was really cool that I was in all the pics & ads for my school,” @_twerkwithme_ wrote. “Then I realized what they were doing.”..........

 
Optimus Prime said:
guess this can go here
===============
A Black college student says that after she avoided campus “paparazzi” at her predominantly white institution all year, she still ended up on her college's website.

Yaël Nkoy Iyema (@jaelwritess), a student at the University of Denver, posted a TikTok calling out the "diversity paparazzi" at her school for using a photo of her, a student of color, on the front page of its housing website on June 30. The photo shows her and another student smiling.

In the video, Iyema shows the photo of her the university used after saying she spent the “entire year trying to avoid the diversity paparazzi at my [predominantly white institution].” She wrote in the video’s caption that she “DIDNT EVEN KNOW UNTIL MOVE OUT WEEK.”

Iyema commented on her video that Black students make up 2% of the population of the University of Denver, and the university reported Black students making up 3% of the population in 2018.

Despite having historically low percentages of racial diversity across student bodies, predominantly white institutions are known for featuring photos of students of color on campus marketing materials.

And many commenters on Iyema’s video related to her experience.

“I was all over my campus diversity photos for 7 years,” @f0chadilla commented. “I graduated in 4.”

“Chileeee you would have thought I was the class President of my college with all the pics,” @karessacamille commented

“I used to think it was really cool that I was in all the pics & ads for my school,” @_twerkwithme_ wrote. “Then I realized what they were doing.”..........

Click to expand...
I'm struggling with this maybe being a perspective issue. I'm not trying to say that the system doesn't need work, but if the university is trying to diversify isn't putting images of black students out there more likely to attract more black students? If that's all they are doing it's one thing, but if they are doing that as part of an effort to legitimately integrate better that is another completely. That article is simple bashing of the university which might be justified, but we need to know more. If they are legitimately making efforts then this does more harm than good.
 
Tapxe said:
I'm struggling with this maybe being a perspective issue. I'm not trying to say that the system doesn't need work, but if the university is trying to diversify isn't putting images of black students out there more likely to attract more black students? If that's all they are doing it's one thing, but if they are doing that as part of an effort to legitimately integrate better that is another completely. That article is simple bashing of the university which might be justified, but we need to know more. If they are legitimately making efforts then this does more harm than good.
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I think it's an issue of "tokenizing" their black students, instead of engaging them with their permission to be a part of an explicit campaign for diversity. I suspect the issue is she feels like they just wanted her picture to make it look like they are diverse without actually doing the hard work of increasing diversity.
 
UncleTrvlingJim said:
I think it's an issue of "tokenizing" their black students, instead of engaging them with their permission to be a part of an explicit campaign for diversity. I suspect the issue is she feels like they just wanted her picture to make it look like they are diverse without actually doing the hard work of increasing diversity.
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Yeah, I was thinking about it and you articulated it well. Diversity is more than just having numbers. Engaging and actually making accommodations that truly opens the door to minorities. That could be providing scholarship opportunities, asking the few black students they have how they can do a better job of making them feel at home, etc. Just taking photos and plastering them on the front page of their publications doesn't really mean all that much.
 
Tapxe said:
I'm struggling with this maybe being a perspective issue. I'm not trying to say that the system doesn't need work, but if the university is trying to diversify isn't putting images of black students out there more likely to attract more black students? If that's all they are doing it's one thing, but if they are doing that as part of an effort to legitimately integrate better that is another completely. That article is simple bashing of the university which might be justified, but we need to know more. If they are legitimately making efforts then this does more harm than good.
Click to expand...
Sure, the bolder part is key
It’s difficult to be sure
If the ‘diversity’ on campus is 2%, it’s probably even less in admin - that would mean those who are making the decisions about how to diversify are themselves not too diverse
It’s a snake eating it’s tail
 

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