Civil rights are civil liberties. Constitutionally backed codification of existing legislation, or as the government calls them amendments. For non-progressives: you are 100% entitled to your belief, but it is 100% based on nothing. And this is unconstitutional engagement wielded to infringe on others. Campaigning essentialist-rejection as a just stance in politics, stales progress behind ‘that’s just my belief’ and “freedom of speech”.

I am not a doctor or pediatrician, and don’t have an in-depth understanding of biology, biological-chemistry, or a medical science eduation. But, I have noticed a trend in the political community. Campaigns around TransX individuals often promote misinformation around gender and how it is possible to attribute or assign gender through medical evidence [‘x’ for all persons within this label]. Before reading on, I will be centering my rejection of transphobia solely on defining gender as a chemistry not a biology. “Chemistry is such a diverse science branching into many industries, and its understanding is fundamental” (Kaur, scientianews.org). [In medicine]…

After the 13th Amendment and Civil War Reconstruction, Jim Crow Laws became the law of the land in segregating Black folks up until to 1960s.If the 1960s Civil Right Movement was initiated to desegregate the existing Jim Crow context, why do we remember the mission as the birth of DEI, and not an era that advocated for an end to racialized violence against former enslaved black folks?The era expanded discourse around equity and inclusion inthe transitionary period following the Civil Rights Movement. In contrast, the movement was initiated to integrate black folks into American society because we were experience high…

The incarceration system is modern day slavery because it was born from civil war, dismantling of slave labor, and the institution of “black codes”. Jails were initially run by local law enforcement, whereas modernized incarceration-systems function as plantations: transporting inmates and indentured servitude for criminal offenses/crimes. Because this all is a root from the passage of the 13th amendment, I believe private and government “security facilities” and “punitive” correction arms of our criminal justice system, in simple terms, just transformed how we view the black body— with intense surveillance, devaluation, and violence. Intense surveillance began with black codes that are…

As an admirer of the LGBTQI+ community, I have developed a “fangirl” appreciation for Ballroom culture. I’ve quickly learned that drag queens, cross-dressers, and transgender women often face a lot of derogatory remarks, such as “man in a dress.” You can be a man in a dress and rock the dress confidently. I have also worn a dress as a woman and have felt both sides of this experience. So, how does wearing a dress influence our conscious and subconscious perceptions of appearance? A dress is simply a dress. Choosing to wear a dress is a personal decision. Negative discourse…

In a government where we’re having real-time debates about whether Trump can run for president again, it seems utterly insane to me. The Constitution states, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” Note: the term “consecutively” is not mentioned in this clause; it refers to a lifetime limit. The subsequent sections address the Presidential Line of Succession concerning all “designated survivor” cabinet members. If Trump has already been elected twice, his name cannot appear on a presidential election ballot. To clarify, he can participate in campaigning, but he cannot actually be on the ballot. …

Whether it’s just or fair, “-isms” are ideologies held by the individual. Racism and Sexism are prominent examples of -isms that have hindered progress in our nation. To disallow a “that’s just how things are” state of the nation, we must assert this: there is no right or wrong belief, just society evolving side by side, and engaging in realistic activism. Reaffirming this core belief proves, the lack of understanding that right and wrong are opinion-based, is why there is a strain between Right-wing conservatives and Left-wing progressives. Hot Take: Progress is about evolution, Liberal for liberating out of oppression.…

“-Isms” refer to the ideologies individuals hold. To challenge the mentality of “that’s just how things are,” we must recognize that there is no absolute right or wrong belief; rather, society is evolving side by side through realistic activism. This misunderstanding is at the core of the polarization between Right-Wing Conservatives and Left-Wing Progressives. As Daryl Davis suggests, changing the system requires “[Keeping] in mind, when two enemies are talking, they’re not fighting; they’re talking… It’s when the talking ceases that the ground becomes fertile for violence.” This approach, moving from civil war to ‘recentered politics,’ promotes equitable reform and…

In 2017, Guadalupe Plascencia arrived at the police station and was informed by officers that there was a warrant out for her arrest due to her failure to testify in court, a testimony of which she had not been informed. While in police custody, she was asked to sign several documents from ICE regarding her citizenship. Despite showing proof of her American citizenship, she was still detained by ICE the following day as she attempted to leave the precinct. In my opinion, Ms. Plascencia’s rights as an American citizen were disregarded based on the suspicion that she was not a…

Ever since I first saw Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump, I fell in love with history. Unfortunately, as a woman-of-color, history has only ever been a space of erasure for “mystory.” If history in academia is to truly be the narrative of time, we must expand—yes, buzz word of the century expand—the narrative beyond white perspectives, white legacy, and “theirstory.” In high school U.S. History, I learned of the 1992 L.A Riots. However, I quickly learned that my preconceptions of what actually catalyzed the riots were not true. This uproar against police brutality, turned-uproar, was also a resistance against institutionalized…