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by Bianca Laureano
I didn’t want to write this post. Who wants to write a “goodbye” or “last post” piece? What I really didn’t want to do was realize this part of my life was wrapping itself up. I was afraid of what that would mean. Then, I put my trust in the universe and my community and I realize this is one way of telling me it’s time. Time for new voices, new opportunities, new growth. All the while I was avoiding writing this and I’m now experiencing …
by Bianca Laureano
This isn’t about coming out stories or labeling Frank Ocean a term he does not identify with (as many folks are doing, he never said he was gay, bisexual, pansexual, heterosexual, he just said he loved another man). Instead I want to create a post that highlights the out queer identified rappers.
My reason for creating this post is because I think folks are asking the wrong questions when it comes to Frank Ocean’s post about his experiences with love. Folks are often asking why the …
by Bianca Laureano
The language we use and how we use them can be forms of resistance. I understand that not many folks may “get” this and many folks may try (and sometimes succeed) in isolating folks who use language in another form. This article is about how language is a form of resistance, something that is alive and evolving, and a part of media justice. Please don’t confuse this piece on language as resistance with permission to use terms that stem from white supremacist spaces to marginalize groups …
by Bianca Laureano
I’ll admit I have stopped watching Glee. It probably was after season 2. There was too much performing of Blackness for me to be comfortable with, and the writers decisions on a lot of the plot and storylines seemed irresponsible and tired to me. However, I am still in the loop of what’s going on with the show for the most part. This is partially because I watched The Glee Project.
Now that The Glee Project is in its second season and they are openly discussing …
by Bianca Laureano
This is not so much an article about the future of abortion, but rather how abortions are presented to us today in films that are set in “the future.” As someone who remembers very well a time when there were no cell phones or internet, for me, I am already living in “the future.” However, I just saw the film Prometheus and there was a scene about pregnancy and abortion (spoilers ahead!).
I’m not going to give a long synopsis of the film Prometheus, I saw …
by Bianca Laureano
There’s been a lot going on over the past week to start off Pride month. Here are a few exciting and interesting stories. Please consider this trigger warning as these stories will be discussing transmisogyny, violence,
CeCe McDonald and Support
If you have yet to hear about CeCe McDonald, I don’t know what to say but get on it! In short, CeCe is a young Black trans woman who is a survivor of racist and transphobic and transmisogynistic comments in her home state of Minnesota …
by Bianca Laureano
This is the tenth anniversary of Sarah Baartman (also known as Saartjie Baartman) being returned to her home in South Africa. Sarah is an important woman to me because she reminds me of how bodies of Color, bodies that are feminine, and the sexuality of Black and African women remain devalued in the world we live in today. If you do not know Sarah’s legacy I’ll share a bit of it with you here.
Sarah Baartman was a Khoisian woman from South Africa. Born in the …
by Bianca Laureano
What does it mean to you to have privacy? Is it that your medical provider, if you have access to one, will not share your information with your community? That your parents and family members don’t go searching through your things? That your partner will not look through your emails or cell phone when you are not around? Do these ideas of privacy change when you are online? Are your ideas of privacy different when it comes to celebrities?
For the past 2 weeks there has …
by Bianca Laureano
Last year Hip Hop is for Lovers (HH4L) became a live broadcast online. Since then, the expansion and attention HH4L has received is phenomenal. This is expected as the two women who are the driving force, creative energy, and developers of the series are fantastic. I asked Uche and Lenée if I could feature them for the Media Maker’s Salon as their form of media is one that is so accessible! They agreed. I should share that Lenée and I are homegirls, chosen family and that …
by Bianca Laureano
“So if you want to really hurt me, talk badly about my language. Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic identity—I am my language. Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself.”
Gloria Anzaldúa, “How To Tame The Wild Tongue” in Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza. 2007. pg. 59.
Earlier this week I created a post on The LatiNegr@s Project about our use of the @ symbol. It stemmed from a question about if this was an appropriate term and …
by Bianca Laureano
You may want to bookmark this post for future reference. For many of you in school (high school, college, a vocational school) you are most likely going to be expected to write something. Each semester I have students write at least two papers, which is something that we are encouraged to do in an effort to support and expect students to be able to express themselves through writing. With all of the advances in technology, many folks are writing online. When you write, citations are important.…
by Bianca Laureano
I was asked to be on a panel at the Green Festival held in NY last weekend. The panel was titled “The F-Word: Perspectives In Contemporary Feminism” and on the panel were: Misha Clive of Green America, Marianne Schnall of Feminist.com, Aiesha Turman of the Black Girl Project and myself. Our session was described in the festival program as:
“At a time when feminism equates to political, social and economi rights for women, why is it considered the F-word? While women leaders like Michelle Obama and…
by Bianca Laureano
There’s so much going on right now and with the Tribeca Film Festival going on in NYC (and I have press passes) I’ll have lots more to share on upcoming films. For now, Here’s another Media Justice Mash-Up highlighting some of the important forms of recent media. Please feel free to add to this list!
A Response in Solidarity
Last month we were asked to support a letter to the editor of Latina Magazine created by Alicia Anabel Santos. Her challenge to Latina was their new …
I’m writing this letter regarding a particular interaction I recently had with a racially white person in the field. This person is planning a new program and project of which I was invited. I asked what the demographics were for this space, if there are any people of Color, with disabilities, youth, or trans* people. I was told, right now, there are no people of Color who are a part of the programming identified as "experts" and the demographics of participants is not available. The letter I wrote to …
by Bianca Laureano
I’ve been asked to be a part of an amazing virtual experience that is happening this Saturday March 31 at 9am EST.
The initial announcement and my invitation ,created by Tami Winfrey Harris who runs What Tami Said and Love Isn’t Enough , stated:
“On Saturday, we tried to open the doors. In a small period of time, girls went from spouting Moynihanisms to writing messages of encouragement to Amber Cole as members of her “crew.” Many of the girls sounded like our mothers. They said
…
by Bianca Laureano
Sometime in the next few weeks I’m going to be an Auntie/Tia/Titi. My sister has always wanted a family. When she married her wife last year in Washington, DC, the Big Fat Puerto Rican Lesbian Wedding we had was marvelous! They began to plan for their family and the time is arriving for my nephew to be born. Our families and communities are so excited for his arrival!
As I prepare to become a Tia/Auntie the first thing I looked for were books including same gender …
by Bianca Laureano
Today (Thursday) I’ll be at CUNY Orange providing a discussion on Media, Gender, and Sex as part of their Women’s History Month series. Much of my discussion will be about US representations in film, television, and new media. Here’s what I proposed to discuss:
“Media is complicated and so are we as viewers. During this presentation, this complexity will be centered with a focus on US television and film representations of gender, sex, sexuality and sexual orientation. This will include an examination of the media…
by Bianca Laureano
The National Women and Girls HIV AIDS Awareness Day is March 10th. I’ve written a lot about HIV for this column, however I have yet to really write anything specific for this coming day and with a focus on gender. I’d like to highlight some of the forms of media available that discusses and represents people who identify as women and how HIV and AIDS impacts our lives. Below are two main forms of media: Public Service Announcements that range from 45 seconds to 5 minutes …
by Bianca Laureano
The first time I started this series I focused on The Golden Girls. Today I focus on another TV show that continues to impact my life: A Different World. Many may know this show to be a spin-off of The Cosby Show. This is true, but it was also its own solid show that began with Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) going to college.
Centered at a fictional HBCU (Historically Black College and University) named Hillman, we follow several students (beginning with Denise from The Cosby Show…
by Bianca Laureano
This February marks the 2nd anniversary of an virtual online project that I co-created called The LatiNegr@s Project. I’ve been reflecting on how this project has grown and evolved and wanted to write a 2-year review of the project. It seemed fitting that I post this reflection here on the Media Justice column because it was here that I very publicly started to think and work on how to create and implement such a project. Because of this website, column, and the interaction with readers …
by Bianca Laureano
There are so many stereotypes that people have about Latin@s, our sexual experiences, practices, and decisions. As a member of this community and someone from the Caribbean I have a few ideas on how these stereotypes have emerged and how they have been linked to reproductive health and justice. It is clear from reports by the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and the California Latinas for Reproductive Justice that we are collectively working to change and challenge these stereotypes. A recent report by the National …
by Bianca Laureano
It’s been two great years and for my 100th plus post I thought it would be a good time to share some of my favorite columns I’ve written. Do you have a favorite Media Justice column? If so tell me what it is! (Editor’s note: Amplify editors name their own faves after the jump!) One of the reasons I like to do these reflections is because I get to see how I’ve evolved as a writer, media consumer, and in sharpening my own media literacy skills. …
EDITOR’S NOTE: Trust Women Week overlaps with the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and reasserts our firm commitment to reclaiming the future of reproductive decision-making in 2012. Throughout the week, Amplify will be honoring women’s experiences and voices by featuring a different story from The 1 in 3 Campaign January 21-27.
1in3Campaign – Bianca from biancalaureano on Vimeo.…
by Bianca Laureano
This week marks a fantastic anniversary as I’m entering the 100th post for the Media Justice column. I plan to do a few series highlighting some of my favorite pieces, ones that I’m most proud of, that still invoke something magnificent and specific for me, and that I just really dig. I’d like to start with a mash-up of posts that I’ve written that centers and discusses abortion. As this is the 39th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Trust Women Week, and a week where …
by Bianca Laureano
This is a real question. What would you do with all the work/media/writing you’ve created? How would you communicate with people all over the world? How would you find new resources and information from various perspectives? Do you enjoy any of these sites/spaces online:
Amplify
YouTube.com
Tumblr.com
Twitter.com
Wikipedia.org
Facebook.com
Amazon.com
Fileshare.com
If you said yes to any of these (and hopefully you did to at least one), NOW is an imperative time for understanding that the Internet as we know it today is under attack.…
by BIanca Laureano
By now you’ve heard of the ABC television show “Work It.” A triflin’ and low rating show that features two middle aged men (one racially white another Latino) who dress up as women to secure employment in the US. Yes, you read that correctly; at a time when women still don’t make as much as men (and where transgender people don’t make as much at all!), when the feminization of poverty is still a part of our society and world, and when transgender people are still …
by Bianca Laureano
My last post was a reflection of the many questions and myths I hear from the youth (and sometimes adults) I provide HIV education and prevention in NYC. This post is one where I’d like to discuss a topic I hear almost every time I do a session, especially with youth of Color: HIV was created to eradicate people of Color. I hear this as well from people who identify as queer, lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, and questioning (not so much asexual as this is not …
by Bianca Laureano
For World AIDS Day and the week that followed I did several HIV education presentations for high school students in the Bronx. I love doing these presentations, and especially in the borough where I live, because it gives me an opportunity to work with youth that are a part of the same community. Often as a guest speaker it’s sort of a “treat” for students to hear from folks other than their teachers or academic faculty. What I realized this month was that there are some …
by Bianca Laureano
Imagine it: me surrounded by a never ending abyss of papers to grade with only 2 weeks left before the semester ends. I’m writing this post because it speaks to my life right now. Now, I told my students I would have their papers to them by last Monday, only one of two classes received them. I was sick for most of a holiday break we had and could barely lift my head up. This limited the amount of papers I got to grade. Now, grading …
by Bianca Laureano
There’s always talk about virginity, at least it seems that way. The idea of virginity and who is a virgin has been discussed for generations. It probably will continue for more generations after today. Earlier last week Samantha wrote about virginity in the article “Myths About Virginity in Glee’s ‘First Time’” and highlights 4 myths about virginity connected to the show. One of my homegirls, Ellen, also wrote about virginity focused primarily among queer youth and answered questions such as “how does a gay or lesbian …
by Bianca Laureano
If you are into popular culture in any way, or watch the news, you probably know who Justin Bieber is and that a young woman alleges 17 year old singer is the the progenitor* of her child. Reports claim that Bieber will take a paternity test, that 20 year old Mariah Yeater requests financial assistance for her child, and that young girls all over the world are pissed off at the young woman and are bullying her and making rationalizations to act out violently!…
by Bianca Laureano
Yes! You read correctly. In this piece I will make an argument that using and applying make-up can be a form of media for many folks. Now, this is not to say that folks who use make-up are always choosing or aware they are making media, but I think many of them are aware they are engaging in a form of art. Now, I know there are lots of folks who may disagree with this for several reasons, and I’d like to respond to some of …
by Bianca Laureano
There’s been a lot of virtual attention towards a young 14 year-old Black woman from Alabama who was videotaped providing oral sex to her ex-boyfriend at their high school. As a Maryland native, this story being centered in Baltimore, hits home and remains enraging. Before I share more about this event, I want to share that two of the young men who participated in creating this video (which the young woman did NOT consent to) and then posted to the internets, have been arrested and the …
by Bianca Laureano
This weekend is the first Sisterhood Summit http://sisterhoodsummit.blackgirlproject.org/ presented by the Black Girl Project (BGP) of which I am a advisory board member. Created by Aiesha Turman (who did a media maker’s salon with me a while ago), the Black Girl Project provides educational and community based workshops and there is a documentary out of the same name. Some of you may remember other Amplify writers sharing information on BGP.
Aiesha has asked me to present on the plenary panel of other women of Color speaking …
by Bianca Laureano
Part of me has wanted to feature some revolutionary television shows that have inspired me in so many ways. These are shows that we don’t often have accessible on basic television (not including cable) but that were available when I was growing up on basic national networks. This may be a series depending on the response I receive from readers, or this may be a one-shot deal. Either way, I’m too excited to write about The Golden Girls!
Earlier last week I saw an image …
by Bianca Laureano
I’ve been struggling with what to write for this weeks article. I’ve fluctuated from writing about the protests and movements going on currently in NYC and all over the U.S. Then I’ve thought about writing about different topics that have come up for Latino Heritage Month (September-October). I also considered writing a longer piece about class and how that’s connected to so many ideas but our social realities of class and access are different. I’d still like to write about that topic sometime soon, but before …
by Bianca Laureano
It’s been a while since I wrote about using media literacy skills, one important step towards understanding and creating media justice. I really enjoy this article by Elizabeth Thoman at the Center for Media Literacy as it outlines what media literacy is and its various components. As I wondered what to write about this week, I realized that I had been thinking about a segment I watched this weekend on 60 minutes. I’ve decided to share some of my questions and analysis to show how I …
by BIanca Laureano
I made my first zine ever in life over last weekend. It became the program for entrepreneur, author, and artist Erika Lopez’s east coast The Welfare Queen tour that is on limited run in NYC for Latino Heritage Month. Erika had given me all of her hard drives that had all of her artwork on them and that was amazing!
A zine is very do-it-yourself (DIY) form of media making. Some folks say zines are similar to magazines where they have stories, interviews, poems, words, images, …
by Bianca Laureano
This was going to be a short article. That’s mainly because I’d like to hear from you all and what your ideas are about this topic. Perhaps I could have written this more timely and had it posted last week. However, it was not until last Friday when a student asked me for some guidance that I considered this topic for discussion and to even write about it here. As I began to write I realized it wasn’t so short as I had thought.
As you …
by Bianca Laureano
As I prepare for a new season of some of my favorite shows (can’t wait to check out the Sons of Anarchy (which I’ve discussed here before) I’ve been indulging in watching some of my favorite shows that I own on DVD. One of the shows that I’m constantly in awe of is Pushing Daises.
Pushing Daises is one of those rare shows that is not only entertaining with a strong, funny and intelligent script, but also mixes magical realism into the plot. …
by Bianca Laureano
The past 5 weeks of sharing notes from my Human Sexuality course (read all 5 parts here) meant I wasn’t writing about what was going on in our communities for a bit. A media mash-up seemed like a good place to start as there is so much going on and being discussed! But more importantly, there is a lot of action around things that folks believe are connected to injustice.
Gun Hill Road in Theaters
The film Gun Hill Road was released in NYC …
by Bianca Laureano
This is a series of posts from the sexuality course I am teaching this summer. Check out the first, second and third weeks. If you are interested in receiving some of the readings, syllabus, and workbook assignments please leave a comment with a way to contact you.
The last week of class has a series of guest speakers discussing topics that range from sex work, HIV and AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STI) and our final class will be an evaluation of the course, turning in of …
This is a series of posts from the sexuality course I am teaching this summer. Check out the first week and second week of notes. If you are interested in receiving some of the readings, syllabus, and workbook assignments please leave a comment with a way to contact you!
Day 6
Abortion, Adoption & Female Sexual Dysfunction
The first part of this class we discussed abortion. In this lecture I explained the legal and political history of abortion in the US, what is included in the procedure, and …
by Bianca Laureano
This is a series of posts from the sexuality course I am teaching this summer. Check out the first week of notes here. If you are interested in receiving some of the readings, syllabus, and workbook assignments please leave a comment with a way to contact you!
Day 3
Gender & Sexual Orientation
For this class there were some fairly long readings that I had scheduled. The two main readings for our topic on gender were the third chapter in Anne Fausto-Sterling’s book Sexing The …
by Bianca Laureano
This is the first part in a series of posts (maybe 4 maybe 5) based upon my teaching experiences this summer semester as I teach an upper level course called “Sociology of Human Sexuality.” This is the second time I’ve taught this course and I have three times as many students this time around. I’m super excited to know that I’ll be able to share some of what I have planned each week with you all.
Our semester in the summer is four weeks long. We …
by Bianca Laureano
This is part two of a two part series about my experiences at the Allied Media Conference AMC). In this part I will discuss the sessions and workshops I attended. Read part one here.
After arriving and settling in the first track on Friday morning was the most difficult time to choose a session to attend. There were so many good ones, such as “Editing As An Act of Love,” and “Video Blogging to Expand Your Message,”but I decided on “Stories …
by Bianca Laureano
This will be the first part in a two part series that will highlight and discuss my experiences at the Allied Media Conference (AMC) this month (June 2011). This piece will discuss my overall experience at the AMC and the next post will discuss specific workshops and sessions I attended.
Many of you may remember when I shared some conferences to check out this year that I mentioned fundraising to get to the AMC. Well, I raised all the funds I needed (minus some …
by Bianca Laureano
I’ve been writing this post for several weeks. It’s a hard topic for me to discuss in the ways I feel are most useful for readers and to have a conversation. Originally this piece was called “Could Bristol Palin Be A Sexuality Educator?” and I discussed and outlined how Bristol Palin has been discussed (and basically dissed) by sexuality educators, activists and professionals. Parts of that original post are still included, but now as I read more about Bristol Palin, especially after the release of her …
by Bianca Laureano
This week has been filled with a whole bunch of people who identify as men acting out! So, I wonder, what’s up with the fellas this week?
My homegirl Barbara sent me this evolving story of Tom MacMaster, a 40-year old heterosexual married man who is a US citizen posing as a young Syrian lesbian woman named Amina Abdallah Aral al Omari on the blog A Gay Girl In Damascus (go search for it because I’m not linking to it!). He creates this persona and person …
***Trigger Warning for discussions of violence and rape***
I’m going to write something very controversial, something that many folks will not agree with and I’m aware of this and I’d like readers to be aware also. Here goes: I do not completely believe that non-violent societies/communities are the most safe all the time. I write this knowing that violence manifests in complicated and multiple ways. If your idea of violence is just physical pain and issues of safety, please think of violence as larger than that. When people talk …
by Bianca Laureano
***SPOILERS***
At first I wasn’t going to dish out any money for any movie that wasn’t 100% on my “to see” list, and Bridesmaids wasn’t! Then I had dinner with two great friends last week and one shared how amazing she thought Bridesmaids was. Then I remember reading this post on RH Reality Check on why so many folks enjoyed the film.
Then this same homegirl gifted me two free movie tickets and I told her I’d used them to watch Bridesmaids. And I did. I …
by Bianca Laureano
Ya’ll know I love snail mail.
And although I agree with many who critique “Hallmark holidays” I do send my parents mail for Mother’s day and Father’s Day. I started this piece with a different focus, but then I saw this interview of author Sandra Cisneros (House on Mango Street, Loose Woman: Poems) by author Dorothy Allison (Skin, Bastard Out of Carolina) from 1996. As I prepare to teach two “special topics” courses this summer, one on women, art and culture and the other on …
by Bianca Laureano
This is the fourth interview in a series of interviews with various media makers who have agreed to share with us their motivations, process and hopes for the media they create. _Read past interviews with Aiesha, Nezua, Nuala, and Espie.
I met Carmen B. Mendoza, Miss Kings County 2011 who is representing the borough of Brooklyn, last year at an event for The Black Girl Project that focused on HIV and AIDS in communities of Color. My homegirl Tamara Walker had wanted …
by Bianca Laureano
As the end of the semester is arrives I am reminded of all the ways I’ve looked forward to this summer. There are a ton of fabulous conferences going on this summer (and this year in general) that I think may be of interest to readers. So, this piece is focusing on helping us all build community through conference attendance and organizing, as well as some pointers on how to get funds to attend (I know all too well how expensive it is to travel and …
It’s been a while since I did a mash-up and think it’s about time for another one. Here I’ll highlight some forms of media that are exciting, inclusive, and centers social justice. Hopefully you’ll find one (if not all) of them fantastic and share with your networks!
PBS Documentaries
Black in Latin America premiered this week on PBS. I’ve heard a lot about this series hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and am looking forward to watching it (I live an analog life so I don’t even get PBS) …
by Bianca Laureano
For the 50th post of this column I focused on Net Neutrality. I really think this is the issue of our generation. Net Neutrality basically is an open Internet that folks can have access to and express themselves. Think of it as the freedom of speech on the Internet. Sounds great right? I mean, that’s why Amplify exists and why so many of us have our own blogs here. It’s also why we can enjoy going to spaces where we choose to get our information …
by BIanca Laureano
The documentary film Let’s Talk About Sex , as many of you know, will have its cable television debut this Sunday at ten pm on TLC. I had the pleasure of watching a screening of the film on Tuesday evening in NYC and sit on a panel with director James Houston. Here’s what we discussed together and with the participants who watched the film with us (don’t worry – I won’t give any spoilers for those of you who have not seen the film yet and …
by Bianca Laureano
It would be an injustice to let this week go by without addressing the various forms of media that come into play surrounding Chris Brown. I’m not one who wants to write about him, and this is because there are so many layers to violence, abuse, healing, representations, narratives, and community responses that are at play with him that they can easily get ignored and others may read that as erasure.
For those of you who are not aware of what current event I’m referencing, visit …
by Bianca Laureano
This site focuses a lot on youth and youth media makers or folks who are creating media with and/or for youth. Yet, this week our editor Emily shared a link that reminded me our parents need media literacy and to be involved in media justice too! The article was published at USA Today columnist Stacy Kaiser who is a licensed psychotherapist, author, and mother. Her article, A few things parents may not know about teens and sex, but should…., was really interesting and many of …
by Bianca Laureano
This is not an article about Charlie Sheen. Instead this article uses the conversations and reporting around Sheen to bring to light ableist language that is being used. My hope is to have us all think about how language is alive, and how we can make good decisions to use language that is effective yet does not oppress or isolate others.
I’ve heard all sorts of terminology around what is going on with Charlie Sheen, most overly used being “crazy,” “nut,” “loony,” and “lost/losing his mind.” …
by Bianca Laureano
This is the fourth interview in a series of interviews with various media makers who have agreed to share with us their motivations, process and hopes for the media they create.
Read past interviews with Nezua, Nuala, and Espie.
This interview is long overdue! I asked Aiesha to do a virtual interview with me back in January of 2010 and then life happened and lots of exciting opportunities came up for both of us. During that time Aiesha asked me to join the advisory …
by Bianca Laureano
The first annual Rutgers University Sex, Love, and Dating Conference was this past weekend. There were over 250 registered student participants and a great group of workshop presenters, and I was one of them! I did two workshops, one on negotiating sexual identities and the other on intercultural relationships (I’m writing more on my specific experience at this workshop at my RH Reality Check blog so stay tuned for that).
As I prepared for my presentations I found myself more focused on the intercultural dating and …
by Bianca Laureano
Many of my friends were surprised when they received Valentine’s Day cards from me. They thought I wouldn’t have contributed to a “made up” holiday centered on having us consume more than we need to and spend money. Yet, I find the idea of offering love to others on a specific day (even when we do this throughout the year), to be very satisfying. This year is no different. Instead of sharing media that I love and adore, I wanted to share media with you all …
by Bianca Laureano
I’m pretty honest about not being into or know too much about certain types of media or issues and events that arise. Lady Gaga is one of those phenomenons I’m just not well versed on and have limited desire to be. With that said, I don’t follow her career, nor do I keep up on what she does or wears. This doesn’t mean I’m completely ignorant of what she produces and some of her songs; I have friends that are total stans!
Part of my lack …
by Bianca Laureano
by Bianca Laureano
This week I’ve come back to DC to be with my family for the end of the year. It’s a tradition that I’ve done since moving back to NYC. One of the saving graces from the stress of holidays, family expectations (being in your 30s and not being partnered or have babies is kind of an issue as some of ya’ll can imagine), not having public transportation similar to NYC, and generally being back in the south (DC is below the Mason Dixon line, the sweet …
by Bianca Laureano
I’m really devastated right now and that kind of distracts me from writing from a certain space and perspective. Knowing that the Senate blocked the DREAM Act really bothers me (and if you think it was all Republicans who were against it think again). Here at Amplify we’ve covered the DREAM Act for the entire year, and the work and activism many of our peers are doing to fight for this act passing.
So what messages are we receiving when DREAM Act is not passed? …
by Bianca Laureano
I love sending and receiving mail. This week I canceled class for the entire week (we only had on day of class but I gave that day off as a gift to my students) because I knew I needed some self-care. One of the things on my list of things to get done because I want and enjoy doing them, versus because I have to do them, is send the people I love and care for mail.
Now, when I write mail, I mean snail mail, …
This week I visited Ramapo College of New Jersey to give a presentation on Latina Feminist Thought for their Latino Heritage Month activities. My contacts at the Women’s Center had saw me speak at the CLPP Conference earlier this year, and when they contacted me earlier this semester I was really excited at working with them and their students.
When I think about a lecture/presentation/workshop on the topic of theories it kind of makes me anxious. Theory is something that can be so dense and boring, that I was …
by Bianca Laureano
Since April I’ve wanted to write this article. While on a panel at the CLPP Conference on Media Radicals, there was an interesting conversation about Net Neutrality. During that time I realized three things about this topic 1. I did not know anything about it or why I should, 2. There were few young people involved in the education and movement around Net Neutrality and 3. The language of the conversation was not as accessible as I thought it could be for different communities such as …
While most of ya’ll were getting ready to have a dope weekend at Advocates For Youth’s Urban Retreat, I was listening to and trying to work through my ideas around the “movement” Now Wedding No Womb (NWNW). http://www.noweddingnowomb.com/ If you have not heard of NWNW (which you can follow conversations on Twitter using the hashtag #NWNW), the goal of this “movement” which is discussed under the tab “No Wedding No Womb FAQ” is to:
NWNW calls for both MEN and WOMEN to put the needs of children first, and
…
by Bianca Laureano
by Bianca Laureano
Dear Tyler Perry,
I hope you are doing well because I really don’t want to even write this letter. I’ve actually delayed in writing you because I really do love writing and sending letters and fun things in the mail to my friends. As my homegirl Erika Lopez wrote in her book Flaming Iguanas: “It’s almost love, and sometimes it really is love. It means someone thought of you for more than the fifteen seconds it took to dial your number and leave the message for …
by Bianca Laureano
***SPOILERS*** The new film by Robert Rodriguez, MACHETE, is a story about an undocumented Mexican immigrant who becomes a vigilante fighting for social justice and revenge against the Mexican drug lord who killed his family. To the surprise of no one I was too excited to see the film. Not only do I adore character actors because they usually make films bearable, but I also wanted to see a Latino film that has national distribution and marketing support. Danny Trejo, one of the most popular …
I have never written about my youth and adolescence and when I chose to begin having sex with my partners. Part of me knows I rarely share these stories because I will be judged and who needs that type of virtual and 3D negativity in their life? But today, I think there are important ways I can learn to heal and learn to see how I’ve evolved in sharing my testimonio.
When I was 14 years old I chose to have sex. I partnered with someone in my high …
I have several friends who have taken this summer to decide that they will begin writing blogs. Many of them are amazing writers and I’m excited to share their work with you when they get themselves and their blogs together! One of the reasons I’m so excited about this is because they are creating media on their own and representing themselves. They will learn so much about their own thought process, evolve in their writing, and learn all they need to about moderating comments!
Representing ourselves in the media …
As summer begins I am often looking forward to the sun kissing all parts of my skin. I can’t wait to visit the beach, which is one of the few spaces I find peace of mind and am reminded that there’s so many bigger things out there and that my problems are just a small speck of something larger. In addition to this ritual beach trip and the sun kissing my skin, I know I must prepare for another type of exposure: showing my ink.
As a fat sexologist …
***I began writing this early last week prior to my computer needing repair. It is now a bit dated, but I think it’s a dope read nonetheless!***
While attending my sister’s wedding in DC a few weeks ago I got into a disagreement with my father about the FIFA World Cup. You see, I’ve started to watch the FIFA World Cup and, to the surprise of no one, have been cheering for the African countries with teams. I’ll be honest; I want to see an African team play …
This is the second interview in a series of interviews with various media makers who have agreed to share with us their motivations, process and hopes for the media they create. Read the first interview with youth media maker Espie Hernandez.
Earlier this month my homegirl Jaz posted a video on Facebook called “Walking Home.” I watched the video and immediately shared it with people in my community. The responses were amazing and affirming of the video. “Walking Home” presents an interdisciplinary story of the street harassment women experience. …
This is the first in a series of interviews with various media makers who have agreed to share with us their motivations, process and hopes for the media they create.
It’s rare when film festivals are open to featuring the media created by young people. I can honestly say I can’t think of a film festival I’ve attended (New York International Latino Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, etc.) that has included a youth track of films created by youth in general. There are many films about youth at these …
The past several months have been amazing! Not only have I had a rewarding time teaching some fabulous students, and engaging with people here at Amplify, but I’ve also made 6 stunning new friends! In January of this year I saw a call for fat dancers at my friend Joe’s blog. When I heard about the Jiggly Boo Dance Crew (JBDC) it was like my life finally began to make sense.
I not only was I immediately interested, because I love to dance, but because this was a …
It’s not often that we celebrate what goes on in Hip Hop. Speaking solely for myself (and maybe for some of my homies) watching the BET Awards is really about who can have the more witty commentary about how to diss the show. As someone who used to identify as a “Hip-Hop feminist,” and still identifies as a “Hip-Hop activist” I still understand the importance and need of the community and its cultural practices and artifacts. For that reason, I’d like to focus on and celebrate some amazing songs …
The past few months and weeks have been an incredibly busy time around social justice issues in the US and abroad. Sometimes when multiple topics are occurring it’s difficult to get a good grasp of what is going on without being distracted, at least that’s how I feel about current events at times! One of the ways I’ve come to love learning and staying on top of current events are through “traditional” and “non-traditional” media makers.
One of the many issues that has been on my radar for several …
It’s not often that I have conversations about abstinence that are completely in-depth and devoted just to that topic. Often, the conversation is introduced in a larger conversation about choices, healing, sexual assault, contraception, and communication. As I prepare to teach a sexuality course at the private Catholic college I work at, I realize that I need to have a good selection of media (specifically songs) that discuss this reality.
Thus, I started to ask my friends about songs that discuss abstinence but that are also accessible and non-corny. …
Some of you may never have guessed with all my critique and commentary on popular culture, I don’t have cable. Not only do I not have cable, but also I only get about four channels since the conversion as I still use rabbit ear antennas. Much of my consuming of media occurs between these four channels and catching things online. So, forgive me if I’m super late with discussing the anti-sexting campaigns that I just recently saw a advertisement for earlier this month.
While staying in a hotel in …
This post is 5 months in the making! Last year I heard the song Pon De Floor somehow, I really can’t remember since it’s been years since I listened to the radio. Then while watching So You Think You Can Dance, the remaining dancers did a group number to the song. That’s when I knew the song was at a new popular high. It’s rare when a Dancehall song becomes so popular we see it on primetime television. So my interest in the song, the performers, and the …
While visiting Trinity College this week I asked some female-identified students what their thoughts were regarding Kiely Williams’ new video “Spectacular.” I have yet to hear too many conversations among their/your community about this video. This question is similar to my question asking you all what you thought about Eryka Badu’s video that was getting so much attention a few weeks ago.
One hundred percent of all the people present had no idea who or what I was talking about. So we went to the Internet and found the …
I really can’t continue where I said I would about open relationships when two artists of Color have created media in ways that are producing so many reactions! This weekend, as I moved my life into a new apartment friends on twitter and facebook encouraged others to check out the new video by Erykah Badu for her upcoming album New Amerykah Part II: Return Of The Ankh, which was released on Tuesday March 30, 2010.
I took a 20-minute break from moving boxes and watched the video. Here’s …
I know I said that I’d follow up on the conversation I started in my last post regarding open relationships, and I do plan to pick back up, however I wanted to share an amazing experience I had recently. Last week I was the keynote speaker at the Get The Facts NY Youth Leadership Conference. This conference focuses on young activists from New York state organized by the Family Planning Advocates of New York State. Each year hundreds of youth from NY travel to Albany to …
Bianca I Laureano
Last week the internets were a blaze with a particular story about the “sexual risk taking” of Latino youth. Surprisingly, or not so, most of the people in the sexual science field who shared the story either via email or on twitter had nothing to say about the article. I found that interesting because I have a lot to say about this topic! The articles that have been written reference a piece of literature titled “Sexuality and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Latino Adolescents and Young …
Each semester when I begin to teach my students about the social construction of race, I use several popular culture references to introduce the conversation. My class is not one of those that are separated into discussing each social construction such as “gender week” or “race week.” Instead, I implement an intersectional framework into my syllabus so that students know we are always already talking about race, class, gender, ethnicity, citizenship status, primary language, ability, and sexual orientation (to name a few). If my students are complex, and if I’m …
The US Census wants you to be “counted,” they are also paying folks to do the work (i.e. get access to communities they can’t) and honestly, they are paying pretty well. I’ve gotten a ton of emails and announcements about Latino organizations participating in getting young people to fill out the Census. They’ve gone as far ask asking several musical artists to contribute a song (that we’ve already heard and may already own) to a CD they will give people once they complete the Census. You may have …
by Bianca Laureano
One of the things I learned early on in college was that the philosophers, professors, and activists I looked up to and admired had a lot of their own flaws they were working out. As I’ve evolved into a sexologists of Color, one of the few I might add, the skill I’ve had to develop and nurture the most is: finesse. You see, there are many sexologists, sex educators, researchers and therapists in the US that have done amazing work and continue to do so, however …
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