[ALBERT DANIEL]

This week’s photographs are showing the two sides of the marriage inequality/discrimination debate. First is a photograph of Richard and Mildred Loving, the petitioners in the Supreme Court case; Loving v. Virginia (1967)  which found laws banning the marriage between different races (in this base Black/White) to be unconstitutional. These were called miscegenation laws, which enforced segregation between intimate interracial relationships.

Picture two is of the engaged couple that sought a wedding cake, and were denied on the basis of their homosexuality. They are Charlie Craig and David Mullins.

Picture three is of Elizabeth Taylor and Conrad Hilton.

The reason I chose these threephotographs is to illuminate the differences and similarities of the human experience. Elizabeth Taylor represents the normative (Western) ideal of marriage of that between a Caucasian man and woman. The next different form of marriage is then between the races as reflected by the Lovings. Finally, we have the furthest extreme away from the normative which is a homosexual couple who are engaged to be married.

All three couples exhibit joy and happiness. Specific and unique to them, they have mutually decided to pledge their devotion to each other through the institution of marriage. The desire to bond, connect, commit and love another person is universal to humans and thus should not be restricted by social dictates.

These examples speak to the overarching principles brought forth by the subject of this class, Law and Civil Rights. When we look at all six of these individuals, and the operative word is individual. It should be a challenge to not understand their desire for recognition and equality. They are no less human, despite the differences in skin color or sexual expression.

I believe the cause for equality is furthered when it is reduced to its lowest denominator, the individual. The challenge is when an “other” or minority is forced to gain that acceptance from another that is no better or worse than they are (dominant culture)

 

Picture 1: Grey Villet, Life Magazine, 1965

https://scrutinypod.com/episodes/2017/3/22/episode-3-loving-v-virginia

Picture 2: photo courtesy of the ACLU

Meet the gay couple at the center of Masterpiece Cakeshop case

Picture 3: Corbis

https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/403199/Elizabeth-Taylor-s-first-wedding-dress-set-to-sell-for-50-000-at-London-auction

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[ALBERT DANIEL]

This weeks discussion regarding the creation of illegality as it relates to immigration brought to my mind the differences in entrance to the United States for European versus North American immigrants.

The first photo is a family arriving at Ellis Island. There is no way to minimize what it took to endure a trans-atlantic voyage in the 1920’s in steerage. However the subjects of this photo do seem to be in good health and spirits. Compare my other photograph with current day immigrants crossing our Southern border.  They just have the clothes on their backs. They were also not “dropped off” at the border by ship or car.

It is difficult to separate the immigration practices (legal) of the United States from the colorism/racism(moral) aspect. As President Trump said once; “we should have more immigrants from Norway”. Imagine if a family of blond haired blue eyed Norwegians was assaulted at the border as Mexican, and Central American immigrants are? There would be a world out cry!

The sad commentary is the continued debasement of the humanity of people of color.  Actually they are looked at as non-human which allows for their indifferent treatment.

 

Picture 1: By Bain News Service, publisher – Library of CongressCatalog: https://lccn.loc.gov/2014710704Image download: https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/ggbain/30500/30547v.jpgOriginal url: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2014710704/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67578140

 

Picture 2: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/05/world/americas/us-un-migrant-children-families.html

Loren Elliott/Reuters

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[ALBERT DANIEL]

Anti-immigration or “anti” anything in American parlance comes down to being “anti” color. Any person or ethnicity that is not considered white is undesirable and subject to intolerance, violence and economic exploitation.  I see the vilification of Latino immigrants as an extension of the dehumanization Blacks were subject to during and after slavery. The fear of the “others” (Mexicans) perpetuated the  us vs them narrative that we see today.

The photos I chose juxtapose the lynching of two Mexican and two Black men.  The perpetrators denied them due process of the law, as lynch mobs executed justice outside the boundaries of law and common decency.  The common denominator was the dominant majority determining its right of rule and determination of “others” within its borders.

While these photos do not speak directly to the concept of “illegality”, it is illegal to deny anyone within the borders of the United States of American equal protection of the law.

photo 1 credit: Featured image: In 1877, Francisco Arias and José Chamales were lynched in Santa Cruz, California. Their killers were never named in court, and it was speculated that members of the jury had been in the lynch mob. The photo was taken by John Elijah Davis Baldwin, a Santa Cruz photographer. (CREDIT: Covello & Covello Photography)

photo 2 credit: Photograph of the 1930 Marion, Indiana lynching by Lawrence Beitler. Mr. Beitler sold over 1,000 copies of the photo in the following week and a half after the lynching.

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[ALBERT DANIEL]

For contrast I am posting a photo of the military prison in Iraq; Abu Ghraib (dogs being used to intimidate prisoners) and a photo taken during the US civil rights movement of dogs being used in a similar/different manner.

The use of dogs speaks to the dehumanization the perpetrator (the State) is foisting upon the victim (POW, citizen). As opposed to human to human contact (which can be deadly) the use of an animal to subdue a human (especially a domesticated animal) lowers the human to the level of the animal. The animal also has to be taught/trained to attack the human.

After 9/11 the animus towards Muslims was at 1000 on a scale of 1-10. In reference to how the U.S. forced the designation of Moslem onto the ethnic Arab (non-christian) the United States armed forces (this prison was run by the Army), denied these Iraqi POW’s the right of dignity by their debased treatment. It is only by viewing these prisoners as less than human is treatment like this understood.

Secondarily, the use of dogs against perceived Muslims (many Iraqi’s are Christian) was a direct attack on the religion of Islam and their prohibition of involvement with them.

https://www.animalsinislam.<wbr />com/islam-animal-rights/dogs/

As we learned about the belief that all Arabs were Muslim, and how that impacted their ability to become a citizen, the religion of Islam and its adherents were denigrated. Just as Blacks in the United States were seen as less than human, the United States power structure purposely diminishes those that are not White, Anglo-Saxon, and Protestant.

Photo 1: https://www.theguardian.<wbr />com/commentisfree/2009/apr/28/<wbr />abu-ghraib-prisoner-abuse-us

Credit: AP (2004)

Photo 2: https://nmaahc.si.edu/<wbr />object/nmaahc_2011.49.8

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and C. Moore (1963)

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[ALBERT DANIEL]

For contrast I am posting a photo of the military prison in Iraq; Abu Ghraib (dogs being used to intimidate prisoners) and a photo taken during the US civil rights movement of dogs being used in a similar/different manner.

The use of dogs speaks to the dehumanization the perpetrator (the State) is foisting upon the victim (POW, citizen). As opposed to human to human contact (which can be deadly) the use of an animal to subdue a human (especially a domesticated animal) lowers the human to the level of the animal. The animal also has to be taught/trained to attack the human.

After 9/11 the animus towards Muslims was at 1000 on a scale of 1-10. In reference to how the U.S. forced the designation of Moslem onto the ethnic Arab (non-christian) the United States armed forces (this prison was run by the Army), denied these Iraqi POW’s the right of dignity by their debased treatment. It is only by viewing these prisoners as less than human is treatment like this understood.

Secondarily, the use of dogs against perceived Muslims (many Iraqi’s are Christian) was a direct attack on the religion of Islam and their prohibition of involvement with them.

https://www.animalsinislam.com/islam-animal-rights/dogs/

As we learned about the belief that all Arabs were Muslim, and how that impacted their ability to become a citizen, the religion of Islam and its adherents were denigrated. Just as Blacks in the United States were seen as less than human, the United States power structure purposely diminishes those that are not White, Anglo-Saxon, and Protestant.

Photo 1: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/apr/28/abu-ghraib-prisoner-abuse-us

Credit: AP (2004)

Photo 2: https://nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2011.49.8

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and C. Moore (1963)

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by ALBERT DANIEL.

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[ALBERT DANIEL]

In response to this weeks discussion regarding the internment of Japanese-American’s during WWII, I would like to juxtapose four photographs.

In comparison we have a photo of a slave family (circa 1862) and a Japanese family. We then have photographs of former slaves and Fred Koramatsu.

Only for purposes of comparison and not to infer the relative inhumanity of what was foisted upon both sets of people I have chosen these photographs.  Through observation, we can imagine the similarities of familial pride each particular family had despite their circumstances.

If one did not know the history or age of the Black men in our photograph in comparison to Fred Koramatsu, one would assume they were all just older men. What was Fred Koramatsu’s life story in comparison to these former slaves? Were they able to keep their lives as former slaves hidden from their children as Mr. Koramatsu’s daughter was unaware of his interment?

photo 1: https://www.mtholyoke.edu/stories/61987/african-american-history-precolonial-west-and-central-africa; Prints and Photographs Online Catalog, Library of Congress

photo 2: https://dp.la/exhibitions/japanese-internment/home-family/family; Courtesy of the Topaz Museum via Mountain West Digital Library.

photo 3: https://www.rightathome.net/blog/oral-histories-of-former-slaves-recorded-for-future-generations; image courtesy of the Library of Congress

photo 4: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/30/512488821/its-fred-korematsu-day-celebrating-a-foe-of-u-s-internment-camps; photo credit: Robin Weiner/AP

 

 

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[ALBERT DANIEL]

The first photo is a composite of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin. We read letters/speeches from all three this past week. All expressed a profound love for their people (Black) but viewed the “negro” problem from different perspectives and vantage points.

Transcript: James Baldwin debates William F. Buckley (1965) | Blog#42

The second is a photo of Baldwin with his nephew (unnamed) in 1963. It is safe to assume due to the year he wrote; “My Dungeon Shook” and the date of this photograph the nephew is indeed the subject of Baldwin’s “Letter to my nephew”, who was also named after him.

Photo by Steve Schapiro/Corbis via Getty Images

 

King, the most educated member of this trio, had to wrestle with the realities of the present negro situation in the United States, but with his knowledge of Western Civilization, knew that a “peaceful” solution would be difficult to obtain. Yet, he was true to his Christian beliefs and while he may have felt pessimistic about the happenings on Earth, he looked for relief for him and Black people in the heavenly realm.

El Haj-Malik Shabazz (Malcolm X) was a realist and despite his “awakening” through orthodox Islam, sought a balance between self-respect, self-defense, and the minute possibility  there could be some peacful co-existence with White’s in America.

Baldwin was also a realist and pleaded to the innocence and ignorance of White’s as an excuse for their treatment of Blacks. Writing to his nephew, he sought to help him create a type of armor in defense against his potential treatment as a Black man in America by seeking to build his self-esteem, telling him that unlike his Grandfather, he didn’t have to believe for himself what white’s thought about Black’s in this country.

 

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[ALBERT DANIEL]

Theme: Civil Rights Today

As alluded to by Michelle Alexander in asking the question; where have all the black men gone? The attached photograph is of a chain gang of prisoners (predominately Black) from Angola Prison, LA. Due to mass incarceration, the communities from which these prisoners come from are not receiving the benefits their labor would have, but the State is reaping the benefit of this labor that they pay only .04 per day for.

photo credits:

https://www.citylab.com/equity/2017/06/america-treatment-of-prisoners-criminal-justice/529143/

Bill Haber/AP

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by ALBERT DANIEL.

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