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By: Kana Matsukawa  The death of George Floyd is still fresh in our minds and immense scale of protests have been on going around the world. Even though there had been an immense number of the case of which black people being killed by police before, the movement for eliminating racism has never been such a widespread. This case brings us to the question of “Why did George Floyd’s death bring about such an unpreceded event?” One of strong factors is, I suppose, the impact of media. Nowadays, the usage rate of media such as SNS (social networking services) have been extremely increasing, and its users are expanded to people of all ages around the world. The case of George Floyd was recorded by one of witnesses and spread it out on SNS. Due to its enormous number of users, this affair ended up being witnessed by people around the world. It seems that this fact leaded the public anger against racism, which had been kept inside for a long to be blown off grandly. There have been some hashtags created in responses to the case of George Floyd, such as #Black Lives Mater, #Black Out Tuesday and #The Show Must Be Paused. We are now, able to take part in the movement to fight against racism only with a smart phone. We do not need to get together at one place but still can be united by SNS. Such a media has changed even the way of participating in protests. However, there is not only a bright aspect of media but also dark side. We have to remember that media could be a dangerous weapon if it is used in the wrong way. Have you heard news about Hana Kimura, who was Japanese woman professional wrestler also on Japanese TV program called TERRACE HOUSE? She committed suicide because of many anonymous slanderous statements for her continually posted on SNS. It is one of the most concerned aspects that media holds. Anonymous system facilitates people to join media activities, and it works out positively in the case of George Floyd. However, when it comes to the case of Hana Kimura, the things are different. Posting something on SNS easily could result in serious trouble that you cannot take back. Every person using SNS has a possibility to kill someone by just posting on SNS. We really need to remember this fact. Before posting, ask yourself whether it is really appropriate and will not harm anyone. Remember that you are posting towards countless people around the world. Remember that there exists a variety of people who have different culture, the way of thinking, and values. We need to consider every single of them to use SNS. Considering such a strong power SNS has, it needs to be used for peace. It must be possible to solve every social issue, spread the happiness, and make the world united as one. AuthorKana Matsukawa is a first-year student of Sophia University living in Japan. Kana studied in Canada for a year during the second year of high school and learned not only English but also cultural and religious differences, and the diversity. She is going to do an internship at some countries' embassy office in this summer. She is also going to join Global Media course of Global Competency Program which will be held in her University.
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By: Grace Zhang  It is a well-known fact that there is no place on this planet that is immune to racism. However, some places have been sheltered from mainstream media. There is a long history of discrimination against African people in China, from anti-black protests to refusing to serve them in restaurants, and make no mistake it is not a recent thing. Beginning in the 1960s, China began to aid African countries to counteract the influence of other nations in Africa. One form of aid they offered was to send African students to China to receive higher education at Chinese institutions. The native students viewed this as unjust treatment from the government, that they were providing for foreign students when some of the Chinese people were worse off. The students took their anger against the government out onto the African students, which instigated the 1988 Nanjing Anti-Black Protests. These protests were not only motivated by the unequal treatment given to foreign students but certain aspects of Chinese culture. There has been an ingrained belief that lighter-skinned people were of a higher class than those with darker skin, and this view is still maintained today in many Asian countries. In the early 12th century, the Arabs brought enslaved Africans to China. The enslaved were known as the “Kunlun” and were given a reputation for being of a lower class, savage and dangerous. This reputation then transferred to the modern stereotype that also perceives people of African descent to be the same. Leading up to the protest, African students were discriminated against and violently beaten for as little as saying hello to a Chinese girl. Even the university, Hohai University, built a wall around the dorms where they resided, with the excuse of it being to prevent theft when in reality it was meant to prevent them from bringing Chinese girls back. There was also a widely spread false rumour that one of the African students killed a Chinese student. The protests lasted three days, in which the Chinese students followed the African students as they were trying to leave Nanjing, yelling “Kill the Black Devils”. Only after moving the African students to Yizheng did the protests die out. Many Chinese people still believe in the stereotypes that were formed during the enslavement of Africans, and due to this, there continues to be racism and racial insensitivity, even in mainstream media. In 2018, CCTV had its annual Lunar Year TV Gala. Featured in this was a racially and culturally insensitive skit, Zheng Kai’s (郑恺) “Celebrate Together” (同喜同乐). The skit opens with individuals acting as African Tribes while dancing to Shakira’s Waka Waka. A couple of scenes later, we see a Chinese individual with blackface makeup on and wearing fake butt pads pretending to be an African mother. Blackface is not tolerated anywhere, so why is this highly insensitive skit being performed in front of a live audience and thousands of people in their homes? Now, due to the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, discrimination against Africans has escalated. Guangzhou, in Guangdong province, has the largest African community in China. Since the pandemic, it has begun to force Africans to test for COVID-19 and to self-isolate themselves. Landlords have evicted African tenants out, resulting in many of them sleeping on the streets. Some restaurants have refused to serve African customers, even putting signs up disclosing this. Even though the Chinese government denies different treatment towards Africans, the discrimination does not stop. The history of racism against Africans in China is not widely known. This highlights an underlying issue of how our education fails us in not teaching us about the history of the enslavement of others. Where education fails, we must take it in our own hands and educate ourselves. We cannot ignore racism in other parts of the world just because it’s less known. AuthorGrace Zhang is an aspiring writer from Canada. She has always had a love for writing, which has stemmed from her passion for literature. Her time is spent participating in a wide variety of extracurriculars, from HOSA to lifeguarding to Mock Trial. Grace has always been interested in a multitude of subjects, from philosophy to neuroscience, with her curiosity always running wild. She hopes to write texts that engage readers around the world, and spikes their curiosity similar to how others' writing spikes her own. By: Beatriz Atienza  The era of social media has amplified the chances people have to express their opinions about almost any matter. No matter if it is a political statement, the last episode of a show or a simple opinion about a food, everyone is capable of speaking about it, and people for sure take advantage of this. They can even do it without showing their real faces, hiding behind an username and a faceless icon. The rising problem with this is that now everyone believes every single opinion is perfectly valid and should be respected, shielding hateful and discriminating thoughts behind the “freedom of speech” tag. The first problem that appears is not just related to the opinions on different movements, or to opinions in general, but to the way of expressing them. Everyone is entitled to have their thoughts on something, but being a civilised and polite person is also a need since we are social beings. That seems to be forgotten by many, as they use the protection the screen offers to express their opinions in the most hurtful and hateful ways. However, it would be good if the only problem we had was politeness, but that is not the case. As movements like feminism, LGBTQ collective, Black Lives Matter, etc. Have risen, they have become a hot topic on social media, and everyone has a say on them. Most recently, with all the events in the United States following the death of George Floyd and countless others, this matter of freedom of expression has surfaced again. Several comments can be found declaring that if they want to think badly about, for example, Black people, or about LGBTQ people, it is their right to do so because they are free to think whatever they want. This is the problem. The extreme defence of freedom of speech seems to validate hateful speeches which even attempt against human rights. The respect and equality of minorities should not be a topic of discussion, or a debate, because it is human lives we are talking about. One’s freedom of speech ends when you attempt against other person’s freedom of speech. To make things clear: being homophobic and defending your position saying that you are free to think that way, goes totally agains the radical meaning of “freedom”, as your opinion attempts against other human’s lives and freedom. The problem is that this is not only a social media issue. The world is collapsing. There are so many regimes such as North Korea’s or Cuba’s or many others which still remain isolated from the progress, but these were thought to be the last ones, and democracy seemed to be finding its way in different parts of each continent. The atrocities that are still happening all around the world, like the conflict in Kashmir (India) or the fact that several countries still allow female genital mutilation, were thought to be the global issues we still had to fight. But turns out that extreme conservative political parties are rising all around the globe, defending premises which go against basic human rights for minorities such as migrants, non/white people, LGBTQ community, etc. Even women rights’ over their own bodies are being threaten. Simone the Beauvoir, feminist philosopher and writer, once declared: “Never forget that a political, economical or religious crisis will be enough to cast doubt on women's rights. These rights will never be vested. You'll have to stay vigilant your whole life.” I think this statement can be applied not only to women’s rights, but to the rights of every group of people who are not white cis/straight Western men. These hateful way of thinking is being institutionalised thanks to this parties, putting racist, sexists and homophobe opinions right in the heart of every government. People seem to forget that this initial way of thinking, blaming every problem on the minorities, was the one that later lead to movements such as Hitler’s nazism, Mussolini’s fascism and Stalin’s Communism. All in all, it is not just the visible atrocities we have to face, but also the ones dressed up as political correctness. In conclusion, going against other people’s rights is not freedom of speech, as that means restricting how other people live their life. Furthermore, supporting and not calling out someone who has that mindset is part of the problem, even if you do not engage with the hate directly. It is because of this that we should all unite in a diverse global movement to fight for every single person’s rights (important note: not only white people). about the AuthorBea (she/ her) is a teacher in training from Madrid, Spain, specially focused on gender equality, inclusion and interculturality in education. She also enjoys storytelling and praising the female figures who have historically been silenced. By: Isabella Astuto  The concept of white privilege often causes extreme reactions right off the bat. The phrase has been misinterpreted, exaggerated, and just generally misunderstood for most of its existence. Considering the riots occurring in America following the death of George Floyd and other victims, understanding not just blatant racism, but also systemic racism, which white privilege directly causes, is incredibly important. Oftentimes, white privilege is described using Peggy McIntosh’s essay, “White Privilege: Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack” from 1988. It was interpreted as inconveniences in day to day life for any person of color, which while heavily debated, was at the same time the most digestible interpretation. However, it isn’t the most accurate definition. To get the true white privilege definition though, we also need a working definition for racism. The Merriam-Webster definition is “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” Systemic racism is when that racism is carried out by groups in power, such as the government or schools. Another important term to understand when exploring this issue is racialization, which is the grouping of people based on certain physical characteristics, specifically skin color. The reason that many people get so defensive about white privilege as a concept is because it seems to suggest that all white people have never suffered. However, right upfront, we need to dispel this belief, because it’s not at all the intention of the wording. White privilege is not saying that white people have never had to suffer, or even that white people don’t have to work hard to achieve success. White privilege instead is a societal advantage that every Caucasion, particularly in the West, is automatically born with. Yes, they can also experience disadvantages based on location, first language, appearance, financial status, and many other factors, but that one advantage of skin color does still exist. Before 1964, when the Civil Rights Act was passed, white privilege was really only used to refer to legal rights that white people had over others. However, as more laws were passed to give specifically black people more technical rights, white privilege was adapted as more of a psychological bias that can be perpetuated through either conscious or subconscious actions. This can manifest on a professional level, where certain typically black hairstyles are deemed unprofessional, or even on a day to day level, where when crayons or Band-Aids come in skin color, the color is always a very specific shade of white skin tone. A very common critique of white privilege comes into play when mentioning these examples, and that is why do these things matter? At first glance, they seem trivial when there are obviously much bigger issues in the world. Well, to explain just why it’s a problem, there’s a concept called the power of normal, that states when something is more normalized and mainstream, it’s more humanized, and vice versa. So when whiteness becomes the default, other races end up being dehumanized. This can start with inaccurate portrayals in the media, causing stereotypes that lead to many growing up believing that all people born with a certain skin tone are a certain type of way. While some of these stereotypes may seem harmless, like all black people liking fried chicken, it is dehumanizing. If you are used to stereotyping people based on their food preferences, it can be a slippery slope to thinking that they may tend to be lazy as well, or more likely to steal, and thoughts can snowball from there. You may not even be trying to think these thoughts, or believe that you believe them. But when you allow any stereotypes to be accepted, you’re more susceptible to taking on others, even just subconsciously. When a group of people are treated as nothing more than a set of stereotypes, they aren’t seen as individuals, and less likely to be respected in the long run. This may all just seem like conjecture, but many studies do prove that some individual’s thought processes do play out like this. For example, New York City used to have a Stop and Frisk policy, where police could stop anyone to frisk them for weapons or contraband. More black and Latino people were stopped than any other race. It has also been made very clear recently just how many deaths by police officer’s hands have been African Americans. On a much smaller scale that shows just how basic day to day respect is hindered by subconscious biases, a study in Australia was done where people from various different ethnic backgrounds tried to board buses, but first told the driver that they didn’t have enough money for the trip. Over 1,500 attempts were made with a steady script kept throughout, and the results were that 72 percent of white people were allowed to stay on the bus, while only 36 percent of black people were allowed the same. Going back to the aforementioned term of systemic racism, this is perhaps the biggest perpetrator of white privilege of all. Seeing as blatant racism was common and pretty much widely accepted for the creation of America, many of the systems were built with these ideas in mind. Many families of color live in poorer neighborhoods because of zoning laws from after World War 2 and that eventually evolved into many of them not being allowed to raise children, invest money, and basically just live life in ‘high value’ neighborhoods. This lowers inheritance values, which contributes to the wealth gap between white and black or Hispanic households. These poorer neighborhoods also force families to send their children to public, higher poverty schools, which have less opportunities and worse education overall. Racial biases also exist in the workplace, shown through a study at Texas A&M University that showed that applicants with weaker racial identities were more likely to be hired than those with stronger racial identities, such as those who may belong to a certain races’ student union. By weaker racial identities, I specifically mean people of color who have conformed to the ‘white ideal.’ An example of just how long this concept has been going on for would be the cultural assimilation of Native Americans from 1790 to 1920. Native Americans would be forced to go to white schools and stripped of their traditions, taught English and standard subjects, and made to go to Christian churches. Those with a weaker racial identity are those who have been specifically Americanized so that any part of them that would be deemed too unprofessional or out of the norm is shaved down to a digestible amount. It is forcing people who are probably against the assimilation into molds that take away parts of their identity and life that could be an essential part of their very being. As all of this information shows, while white privilege on its own may not be as big of a deal as other racial problems, many of those problems are the effects of white privilege, and the ignorance towards it. Overall, it makes life much more dangerous and difficult for many based simply on their skin tone, and in the year 2020 where many pride themselves on how far this country has come, that should most definitely not still occur. By: Isabella Astuto  In 2017, the movie Call Me By Your Name was released and received massive acclaim. It quickly gained a following, but along with that came much criticism. This was for a couple of reasons that boiled down to the fact that the movie portrays a gay couple with an age gap that, while legal, was troubling to many. People of course are able to like a movie while disapproving of events or characters that show up throughout it, but that didn’t seem to be the case for the majority of Call Me By Your Name’s fandom. Instead, fans seemed to be an overwhelming amount of women who are attracted to men who were big fans of the main pairing, seemingly ignoring any potentially problematic aspects of it. Taking the more sexual aspects of the relationship that are also shown on screen into consideration, many outsiders made an assumption that the popularity of this movie was ultimately an effect of fetishization. Fem Magazine defines fetishization as the sexual fascination with things that are not inherently sexual. Now yes, obviously the majority of romantic relationships have a sexual aspect to them. However, that is none of anyone outside of the relationship’s business, and therefore has no effect on this discussion. Fetishization of specifically lesbians and other women who like women is probably the most well known and acknowledged form of fetishization of the LGBT community. For a long time, lesbians were treated as a throwaway joke in TV shows and movies that focused on men- two hot girls making out in front of the main character as he watches with his mouth agape. He would dream of being invited to a threesome with them, and make jokes about ‘turning’ a lesbian straight, as she just hadn’t experienced him yet. Modeling agencies also put this to good use, with many photoshoots that include two women focusing very heavily on sexuality. As was mentioned prior, a different group’s fetishization seems to have also cropped up as being gay became more widely accepted. There’s many groups of women who only consume media if gay male characters exist within it, or at least if there’s male characters that they can project gayness onto. While with men and lesbians the focus seemed to be on a man controlling the situation by joining in, women’s fascination seems to come from simply watching. Both can be very problematic, but this slight change is interesting, because it seems to suggest gender roles coming into play even here, with men being more dominant and women submissive. Why exactly is this problematic though? Well first of all, as was said before, it is none of mine nor anyone’s business what someone is attracted to. It would make logical sense that if someone is attracted to men, they may prefer male on male content for sexual purposes, and vice versa. What happens behind closed doors should stay behind them, and therein lies the problem. What someone is attracted to can not be helped, and they are allowed to consume whatever media they please. However, it is when those desires and fetishizations come out into the real world that problems can arise. When jokes are made about ‘turning’ one’s sexuality, that is not okay. The LGBT community has experienced so much hatred over centuries, and a common reasoning for that is that being gay is a choice. Studies prove though that it is factually not, but when these jokes are made about a lesbian only identifying that way because they haven’t met the right guy yet, it perpetuates this idea. There is also the problem of not recognizing issues in relationships because of fetishization. Going back to the earlier Call Me By Your Name example, not recognizing just how toxic that relationship is can translate into unhealthy relationships in real life. The two main characters, Elio and Oliver, are 17 and 24 respectively, and Elio is portrayed as inexperienced, particularly when it comes to men, and Oliver shown as much more capable. This creates a power imbalance, because Elio is very naive, both in life and gay relationships. Oliver comes to live with Elio’s family and gains Elio’s trust and friendship before striking up a secretive sexual relationship with him. He then leaves at the end of the movie to marry a woman with Elio heartbroken in his wake. Elio’s father comforts him and shows support of his identity, but seems to ignore the fact that this is basically textbook sexual grooming. While the phrase is more commonly used concerning children, the technical definition is gaining the trust of a younger and inexperienced individual over a period of time specifically to begin some form of sexual relations with them. You can enjoy this movie for the acting, cinematography, or even a well-developed story. However, if this kind of relationship is normalized and even romanticized, it creates dangerous expectations for real life relationships. Yet another harm of this fetishization is the dehuminazation of gay people. On October 27. 2016, a revival of the cult classic musical Falsettos opened on Broadway. The musical centers around Marvin, a middle aged previously closeted gay man who recently divorced his wife, Trina, for his boyfriend, Whizzer, and how life continues from there. Marvin is objectively not a great guy. He cheats on his wife, slaps her when she dares to marry another man after the two of them have gotten divorced and while Marvin is dating Whizzer, and is incredibly self absorbed. He wants both Whizzer and Trina, and when he can’t have that, he lashes out and ends up (temporarily) losing both of them. He is an incredibly interesting character, and that can be recognized. However, much like with the titular relationship in Call Me By Your Name, ignoring all of his bad qualities and putting him on some type of pedestal just because he’s gay is not okay. This kind of behavior doesn’t treat gay people like actual people. It takes one trait, ignores the rest that actually make them a real life human being, and turns into some type of plaything that isn’t taken seriously or respected. All of this goes to say something altogether pretty simple- the gay community should not be fetishized just for simply existing. It is demeaning, potentially dangerous, and, quite frankly, creepy. Please, support the community and be an ally. Stand up for them, and be as vocal about it as you want. However, they are not objects for your sexual desires, and if that’s the only form in which you’ll accept a gay couple, you are not actually an ally in any way, shape, or form. https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/film-and-book-reviews/call-me-your-name-not-pedophilia-still-problematic/page/0/2 https://www.lambdaliterary.org/2010/08/the-fetishizing-of-queer-sexuality-a-response/ http://www.newlinetheatre.com/falsettoschapter.html By: Yanitta Iew  Image Credit: https://www.fatherly.com/news/four-harry-potter-e-books-coming-jk-rowling/ When some of us hear Hedwig’s Theme, we immediately switch to “nostalgia mode” where everything around us dissolves into sepia, and the air smells like old books, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans and scrolls of parchment. All the tiny trinkets, book pages and magic wands give us happy memories of staying up until 3 A.M., devouring the last few pages of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. But since J.K. Rowling has been accused of being against transgenderism and racist towards her POC characters, every evocative thought comes to an abrupt pit stop, and it seems like all the magic is spoiled and morphed into the acrid stench of the Polyjuice Potion. “Nostalgia mode” is shut off, and we see the world as it is. We see Harry Potter as it is. We are here to support the LGBTQ+ community and POC as there have been various accusations of her lack of inclusiveness in the fandom. The Harry Potter series was never “unproblematic” to begin with. But since this outbreak of dispute against J.K. Rowling’s insinuations of transphobia, Harry Potter fans who disagree with her tweets are having second thoughts about their feelings towards this series. Some will stop thinking about Harry Potter forever, while some just want to pretend that Harry Potter was written by no one because any other thought is just so heartbreaking. But Harry Potter is not authorless. To claim Harry Potter as authorless is only to show our need to only acknowledge or credit “perfect” people with no prejudices but instead with our definition of virtuous views. On the topic of one’s prejudices, there is no belief that everyone supports, and one’s beliefs will always contradict someone else’s. Every work of literature ever written has an author, and every author has their own set of beliefs and prejudices. And even if they deny it, nobody is utterly impartial. Other authors that wrote literary works through the ages were also racist, homophobic, islamophobic, xenophobic, sexist, and so on. Shakespeare was one of those authors that had discriminatory prejudices, but we do not claim his work as authorless. Regarding the societal beliefs during his time period, he didn’t become the victim of as much dispute as J.K. Rowling. Some of us now regard J.K. Rowling with contempt because society has changed. The LGBTQ+ Community has grown, spread its message through social media and integrated themselves more into society than centuries ago. But there are still people that snort in derision when trans women or men acknowledge themselves as who they really are. The internet dispute has comments on two sides: saying that Rowling is transphobic, or merely “inaccurate.” Some agree with her and some don’t. If some of us are Harry Potter fans that disagree with J.K. Rowling’s innuendos, that still does not give us the right to disregard J.K. Rowling’s efforts on writing a multiverse of books beloved by children and adults all around the world, just because we have contradicting views. But some of us feel guilty for having fanatic feelings for this book series, but aren’t ready to expunge this fandom from our lives because of how special the books are to us. There are people like us, and there is no need to feel guilty when calling ourselves “Potterheads”, “Gryffindors”, “Slytherins”, “Ravenclaws”, or “Hufflepuffs.” J.K. Rowling is not merely known as the author that wrote Harry Potter. It is not the only thing that defines her identity, and she is not the fandom herself. She is not “Harry Potter” and “Harry Potter” is not her. She is the woman who wrote Harry Potter. The books and the author are two different things. And our love for Harry Potter only grew with our friends, family and our own imagination. The original works were written by J.K. Rowling, but the magic and its legacy grew from ourselves. For those of us who cannot get enough of Hogwarts, there are ways where we can keep the Potterverse in our reach and support the Queer community, POC and Independent businesses. First of all, Universal Studios and the Warner Bros gift shop are not the only places we can indulge ourselves with Harry Potter trinkets that remind us of the books and enable us to showcase our house pride. Hand-knitted scarves and beanies, jewelry, book sleeves, bookish candles, art prints, sweaters or cosmetics can be found in many different Independent Businesses on Etsy, Instagram and RedBubble. Choose to support Queer Creators. They need our encouragement at the moment, and this is a mindless but fruitful way to spread kindness. Furthermore, Fanfiction is being written every day, and there are hundreds of thousands of fanfics on platforms such as Wattpad or fanfiction.net. Read those fanfics that support the LGBTQ+ community. Write your own, and introduce Queer characters to the fandom. Make the fandom more inclusive yourself by adding characters that represent different sexualities and more POC. Not only is Fanfiction a vital part of the fandom, but Fanart also plays a big part in Young Adult Literature at the moment. Draw your own fanart that represents the Queer and POC characters in the fandom. Support those businesses that increase the awareness of the LGBTQ+ community through their art. There is a myriad of Queer & POC-run Harry Potter podcasts, fan accounts, artists, fic writers and Youtubers. Support and encourage them to do what they love. Lastly, expand our tastes. Read books by Queer and POC authors and support them. Donate to charities, sign petitions and support causes like The Harry Potter Alliance. Make this a part of our daily lives. And remember, the author and her book are two different things. AuthorYanitta is a high school freshman from Thailand who aims to spread her message through fiction. She is an aspiring writer and the founder of the Creative Writing club at her school and often writes stories that represent diverse cultures, identities and race. She is very passionate and ambitious when it comes to majoring in Creative Writing and inspiring people with her novels. When she's not writing, you can find her reading books from her perpetual bookshelf, playing the violin and researching random facts on the internet. By: Raeesa Rashid  Virtually Protesting For #BLM A lot of people who are in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement cannot go outside and physically protest because they are in a high-risk category for obtaining COVID-19 or somebody they with is. Firstly, if you are in a high-risk category for obtaining COVID-19, or you live with a person, or multiple people who are in a high-risk category for obtaining COVID-19 then please, I cannot stress this enough, do not go outside or leave your home to physically protest. It is very dangerous. If you are unsure about whether you or somebody you live with is in a high-risk category for COVID-19 then please read information from this link. Now if you cannot physically attend a protest, do not worry your voice still can be heard, by virtual protesting. What Is Virtual Protesting? Protesting using the internet. You don’t have to leave the house to virtually protest, it can be done from your phone, laptop, or any digital device that connects to the internet. What is cool about virtual protesting is anybody in the world can see your protest, so you could be educating anyone in any part of the world with access to an internet connection. What Are Ways I Can Virtually Protest? One way to virtually protest is to share content online such as:
 Educate yourself about black history. There is so much history we don’t know. So much that we don’t get taught in school, so it’s our job now to watch documentaries, read articles and studies all about the history we don’t know and making ourselves less ignorant. Here are some good places to start. Educate yourself about police brutality. Black people make up 13% of the USA population yet are 24% of who the police kill. That’s just one statistic. But there are so many more. So take it upon yourself to search for the statistics, stories, and information and find more out about police brutality. The more knowledgeable you are on the issue, the easier it will be to protest against it. Here are some good sources. Sign petitions. Everyone with access to the internet can sign an online petition. It costs nothing, except for a single click. It’s so quick and easy and petitions can be effective. You signing one makes all the difference because your sign is you making a statement about what you want and will help bring us a little bit closer to justice. Donate if you can afford to. Not everybody can afford to donate and don’t feel bad if you can’t because there is still a lot you can do. But if you can afford to donate then please do donate, even a small amount will help, there are so many worthy BLM causes you can donate to on GoFundMe. Here are some sources for petitions and donations. And don’t forget… Do not forget why we are doing this. We’re doing this because black lives matter. We’re doing this to fight racism and systemic racism within our countries and society. We’re doing this for justice. We’re doing it for all their names, even ones we haven’t heard of. We’re doing this, we’re fighting this fight so this is not a “current affair” or “latest news” for the future generations and our children, and we want this to be a history lesson for them. We can’t give up, because if we do, we will never really obtain justice. AuthorRaeesa is a 17-year-old computer science student and writer from the UK. With being a girl who is partially-disabled in code, she has become an advocate from girls in code and disabilities in code. She believes in encouraging people from diverse backgrounds to get into code and young people too, given she started coding at the age of 10 herself. She believes writing for GenZ Writes will allow her to give advice to people, voice her opinions, and give her a platform to represent all the communities she is a part of and to eliminate stereotypes, all in a way she would like to as GenZ Writes gives her the freedom as a writer to do so. Written by: Mary Lee  Image Credit: https://truthout.org/articles/trump-adviser-says-republicans-will-ramp-up-voter-suppression-in-2020/ Every Election Day, voters are still being systematically silenced. And minorities are disproportionately affected. A recent report from the Associated Press shows Justin Clark, a top adviser for President Trump’s re-election campaign, caught on tape. “Traditionally it’s always been Republicans suppressing votes in place,” said Clark. “Let’s start playing offense a little bit. That’s what you’re going to see in 2020.” It’s clear that there is no law that the Trump administration will not try to bend or ignore to try to win the presidency. Suppression efforts include strict voter ID laws, where you must present one of a limited set of government issued forms in order to cast a ballot. Over 21 millions U.S. citizens do not have government-issued photo identification because it is not accessible to everyone. ID cards are costly and are significant burdens on people in lower-income communications. A felony conviction can mean the loss of your right to vote. Due to racial bias in the criminal justice system, felony disenfranchisement laws disproportionately affect Black people, who often face harsher sentences than white people for the same offenses. Iowa has the most disproportionate incarceration rate of black people in the nation which results in the disenfranchisement of an estimated one in four voting-age black men. Every 10 years, states redraw district lines based on population data gathered in the census. But states often gerrymander. They use redistricting as a political tool to manipulate political outcomes which results in a compromised democracy that stifles the voices of millions and does not reflect the will of the people. In April, the Trump administration conducted the 2020 census, and states used its results to redraw district lines across the country. The purpose of the census is to count EVERYONE in this country, including noncitizens, to correctly apportion representation and public funds. But Trump wanted to reduce census participation by immigrant communities, stunt their political influence and deprive them of economic benefits by adding a citizenship question to the census. He clearly is not afraid of targeting minorities. These are just a few of the many tactics the government utilizes to suppress voters. States should use automatic, online, and same-day voter registration to encourage instead of suppress voting and to reduce chances of error. States must also enforce the protections of the Voting Rights Act, and individuals should know their rights and tell their senators to pass VRAA, which would reinstate critical protections against voter suppression.
By: Maria Rizwan ‘It’s really the survival of the fittest’- Dr. Adam Lauring, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  COVID-19, a descendant of the seven-member nuclear family of corona viruses (CoVs), has been the star of town for quite a while now, and according to some sources, won’t be leaving town anytime soon. It’s the day to day news, chit, and chatter, but how well exactly did you absorb the information? Let’s take a look at its simply complex nature, step by step. Meet the Family The family of Coronaviruses are, by no surprise, quite infectious. 2 of them evolved to become what we came to know as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome). Consequently, titling the novel coronavirus as the ‘severe acute respiratory syndrome 2’ (SARS-Cov-2). Discovered in the mid-1960s, the family of coronaviruses were named after their ‘crown-like spikes’ and were further classified into a family known as the Orthocoronavirinae. This particular family is divided into four genera, one of which SARS-Cov-2 resides in, namely the Betacoronaviruses (β-CoVs). These also happen to include SARS and MERS CoVs and are commonly known to infect humans and /or various other mammals. Virologists also firmly believe that the β-CoVs genera are a descent of the bat gene pool, thus allegedly leading us to the controversial ‘bat soup’ speculations. This lineage of β-CoVs have wracked chaos in our world and have yet to be detained. A Microscopic Glimpse Now that we know of its relatives, let’s dive deeper into its replication mechanism. How exactly does this acellular, minute of a particle send our body into a frenzy? It all begins when these microscopic particles waft through the air and enter our body during inhalation, subsequently attaching itself to the surface cells in our airway. The (S1) crown-like spikes surprisingly, have a high binding capacity with the ACE2 molecules present on the cells. Locked in, these particles invade the cells through endocytosis (engulfment of material by cell membranes), enabling the virus to enter our cells. Once settled in and cosy, the virus takes advantage of the genetic machinery of the cell. It releases a strand of RNA (Ribonucleic Acid), a fraction of the viral genetic material, and begins the synthesis. Encompassing the gear, the protein synthesis creates fresh new viral proteins ready to conquer a multitude of cells. Do note that, one infected cell has the capability to generate millions of viral copies before it becomes of no use! Symptoms The most communal symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 seen in the public are of pneumonia, dry cough and fever. The pneumonic symptoms can be owed to the nature of the virus. SARS and MERS CoV both are sources of atypical pneumonia, which accounts for a mild fever (36-37℃) and dry cough. Due to the SARS-CoV-2 possessing > 70% of the same genetic sequence as the SARS-CoV, it only makes sense that the range of symptoms align to be parallel. If you scroll up, you’d re-encounter the infamous entry cell receptor, ACE2. Research shows that although, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 are astonishingly similar, the ‘corona’ spikes of the latter have approximately a 10-20-fold higher affinity to bind with ACE2 than the afore mentioned. Causing this pandemic to be exceedingly contagious and taut. Upon entrance of the viral copies in the alveolar epithelial cells (located in lungs), rapid replication transpires, and an immune response is triggered. An extremely strong immune response, at that. Like many of us, cells tend to overreact and push the red button. Which, in this case, would be a cytokine storm. A cytokine is a signalling protein produced by threatened cells to prompt an immune response. However, overproduction and release of these proteins can be fatal. The cytokine storm syndrome (CSS) can lead to fatigue, high fever and Hypercytokinaemia which in turn, instigates multiple organ failure. According to the PMC, from the first 99 patients of COVID-19, 17% displayed signs of ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), a symptom of CSS, among whom 11% had passed away due to multiple organ failure. Overall, this dynamic of symptoms affects our immune system collectively. It tires out our immune cells, specifically the T cells. T cells aim to adapt and mediate pathogenic invasions. With lack of full vigil, primary and secondary immune responses are slowed down, paving way for the virus to thrive. Resilience Although Coronaviruses fall under the category of ‘enveloped viruses’, their nature deems to be quite resistant. Their lifestyle alone as non-living particles stem a variety of problems. However, let’s first peer at this from a generic perspective. The afore mentioned category also accounts for large particles. Yes, CoVs are large, enveloped viruses. Large in comparison to other viruses, not the microorganic domains! Owing to that, and the fact that they encompass none of the hallmarks of living things (disregarding sensitivity), the bar has been raised. Generally, viruses are impervious pathogens due to their idiosyncratic ways of living. They hijack our genetic material and photocopy of our host cells. Due to them seizing our cells and becoming one, anti-viral drugs are difficult to propose. If they intend to dissolve these parasites, they will consequently eradicate our somatic and gamete cells. Why can’t we utilize the anti-viral drugs formulated for SARS-CoV or MERS? A common question, with a paradoxical answer. From one virus to another, innumerable differences prevail. Like an enzyme to its substrate, a virus is specific to its own anti-viral drug. The former anti-viral drugs may engender side effects or perhaps relieve symptoms, in some cases. Withal these frustrating impediments, mutations have seen a drastic accretion throughout the recent months. Mutations are changes, rather mistakes created during the DNA replication process. Although, being unfavourable, they may also result to be propitious. Thus, scientists are unsure of the evolving nature of the virus. Despite that, it does arise problems as they gradually become harder to identify. The S1 crownlike spikes may reform into distinctive shapes and inhibit the impact of contemporary developing vaccines as our bodies’ antibodies may remain oblivious due to the lack of antigens. Inhibition Speaking of anti-viral therapy, several have been clinically tested to investigate (in)direct effects on the SARS-CoV-2. A strategical approach the majority first leaned towards was the concept of drug repurposing. Dr. Sumit K. Chanda’s, a virologist at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in La Jolla, Calif, team, led this initiative. The most eminent tactic was to test previous proven-effective anti-viral drugs, the ones of Ebola or SARS, perhaps. The infamous anti-viral, Remdesivir, had high expectations from the medical community, but isn’t as efficacious as they hoped it to be. Though on the bright side, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, America’s leading infectious disease specialist, announced that it reduced mortality rates and duration of SARS-CoV-2. Another team of researchers directed by Dr. Nevan Krogan, a molecular biologist at UCSF, are continuing a study on 69 compounds. They limited it to these compounds as they found that they worked in a similar manner of that of the virus. They targeted similar proteins and gave a possibility to battle the virus. In further examination, about 60 of the candidates failed the expectations, however the remaining 9 deemed promise. The 9 drugs ensued great impact as it was said to be: ‘10 to a hundred times more potent than Remdesivir’, according to Dr. Krogan. The future of these 9 awaits trial and errors, reforming our hopes. Precautions In wait of the pending answer, general instructions have been initiated by the public. Though hand washing seeming to be the universal go-to. However, do you know the chemistry behind it? Soap molecules are pin-shaped and pointed, rupturing. Since viruses and bacteria contain an oily lipid membrane that holds them intact, their Achilles heel is quite apparent. The water-repelling end of the soapy molecule, a hydrophobic tail that can bind with fatty substances, jabs at the membrane puncturing it. Hence, leaving a disarray of organelles and a deflated particle. Alcohol is a potential candidate as well. Nonetheless, they usually exist to be in quantities <60% in disinfectants. Moreover, they can’t outdo the dual nature of soaps. Chemically both achieve desired effects, but soaps prove to be more effective in physically extracting substances off our skin. The hydrophilic (water-loving) molecules’ heads grasp to contact water molecules, though their tails refrain from doing so. To avoid contact, they curl inwards, consequently scooping up minute bubble captures known as micelles. Thus, cleansing the tested surfaces. Antibacterial soaps/gels are furthermore of no use either, as they fail to penetrate viruses. In bacterial cases, at times it may also develop a resistance due to mutations during DNA replication or via evolution-led natural selection. *** To conclude, I’d like to highlight that this is a time of uncertainty and clouding doubts. It’s a time of lively deaths and deadly lives. The path ahead remains unclear and may deem to be a mirage. An illusion to our eyes, questioning anything and all. Nevertheless, this mirage is wholely dependant on your vision, on your actions. Remain clam and refrain from panic. Pay heed to precautionary measures, as they’re instructed for solely you, and your loved ones’ benefit. See to be updated and help if you’re able. However, do not see to exhort human interaction and rather, branch out virtually to lend a hand to those lacking or needing. It’s a time for us to coherently depend on one another and unite, from a distance. Sources: Li, Heng, et al. “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Current Status and Future Perspectives.” International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy., May 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7139247/. “Betacoronavirus.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 May 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betacoronavirus. “How Soap Kills COVID-19 on Hands.” UNESCO, 24 Apr. 2020, en.unesco.org/news/how-soap-kills-covid-19-hands. Zimmer, Carl. “Old Drugs May Find a New Purpose: Fighting the Coronavirus.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Apr. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/04/30/health/coronavirus-antiviral-drugs.html. Schraer, Rachel. “Coronavirus Mutations: Scientists Puzzle over Impact.” BBC News, BBC, 6 May 2020, www.bbc.com/news/health-52557955.
Written by: Hannah Flores  Image credit: Mumbai Mirror It is true that when challenging situations present themselves, people tend to show their true colours. Nonetheless, in a time where Covid-19 is enveloping countries around the globe, this pandemic has exposed our lack of organization, morality and empathy. We are more so our own worst enemy than any single-celled virus could ever be. To gain a better understanding of our current situation, we need to look back to the beginning. For me, the very beginning. I was born in March of 2003 during the height of the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak. I spent the first three months of my life in isolation with family, following preventative measures. Canada’s strategy of contact tracing — or monitoring people in close contact with those who contracted it — was highly effective with SARS. We acted quickly to weaken its potential lethality. Fast forward to my eleventh birthday in March of 2014, when the Ebola virus crisis emerged from Guinea and caught global health officials by surprise. In Chad, one of the poorest countries in Africa, there were only three physicians for every 100,000 people during Ebola’s debut. International efforts began to pour in, with aid funds totalling over US$459 million. While Africa allocated the funding towards relief efforts, we cannot let the governments of these West African countries off the hook. Ebola exposed institutional leadership gaps in health sectors in countries such as Sierra Leone. Corruption and political patronage did not help. African states did not invest in disease-specific priorities, but rather internationally-set health targets. This mirrors the negative societal trends we see in our current problem. Now, I am a seventeen-year-old high school student practicing social distancing, where the walls of my house are the barriers between myself and the dangers that lie outside. I am back at square one. As someone interested in pursuing a global health career, I have been trying to process the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic, and it is not sitting well with me. International public health organizations were slow to implement preventative measures in the early stages of the outbreak. Take a look just south of the US-Canada border (which is now temporarily closed). Temperamentally, president Trump did not believe that pandemic preparedness was an important topic; that it didn't deserve the high level coordination efforts that the agencies involved had advocated for. Only a few weeks after did he hop onto the bandwagon in agreement that this is a problem beyond anything we have seen in our time. US officials have failed to maintain accurate records of citizens who have been tested and the number of positive results. It is this robbery of necessary information from Canadian and American citizens and that has bubbled to the surface, only making this viral situation escalate out of proportion. How can people be certain that we are receiving the most accurate information? Canada has seen a great shortage in medical masks and latex gloves, vital to our medical staff working around the clock on the front lines with patients. It takes too much time to get suppliers from outside of Canada to deliver the masks and gloves. The SARS outbreak served as fair warning for us to manufacture these supplies within our own borders, making them readily available in case of emergencies. With this panic comes panic buying; our own “Tragedy of the Commons.” Canadians are leaving stores with grocery carts overflowing with 28 different kinds of pasta and a six-month supply of toilet paper. Those who are so privileged to stockpile are not purchasing only necessities, leaving empty shelves for the economically disadvantaged. People are selfishly rebelling against suggestions of isolation, going out in public with flu-like symptoms and putting others at risk. Self-isolating is the small price everyone must pay that could save many lives. Eventually, we got a handle on SARS and Ebola. Now is the time to do the same with Covid-19, but we cannot do this without taking a long look at ourselves in the mirror first. Call your neighbour and ask if they need something from the store. Check on your loved ones and most vulnerable peers to keep them informed and accompanied. Our strength in community and empathy for others are instrumental in our fight against Covid-19. This is our call to action, and we must pick up the phone.  Image credit: ReliefWeb
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