Author: nicklaus.24

Text Review: Crip Camp

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When Judy Heumann, camp creator, joined alongside other students, their first question was not “what is your name?,” but rather a statement labeling her as “sick.” Before Judy even got the chance to identify herself, able-bodied children had identified her as someone with sickness—someone with a disability. Even the principle at Judy’s school engaged in these microaggressions by offering concerns that Judy was a “fire hazard.” As Judy recalled her own experience being a disabled student watching other “more” disabled students being sent into the basement for separated classroom sessions, she recalled knowing that she and her disabled classmates were being “sidelined.”  When Judy found her way to becoming a counselor of a camp, it was her utmost priority to ensure that everyone had a chance to talk. In the documentary, we see individuals utilizing one another to better understand themselves and each other. The film highlighted the difference between how disabled people are treated in the depths of an ableist society versus how they are treated when disabled people can create a society that fits their needs. While ableism runs rampant as we see in texts such as the subaltern character of Maggie in Toni Morrison’s Recitatif, it does not have to. Ableism dictates that disabled people are only capable of certain things and the concept of a disabled person achieving something beyond those limitations seems unfathomable. However, this documentary proved all those limitations to be faulty; it displayed disabled people running their own camp entirely on their own. If this sound’s surprising, it should not. Disabled people live in a world that is designed against them and forces them to consistently be faced with the burdens of systemic ableism. Disabled people often cannot make it through one day without experiencing a systemic barrier and injustice. To assume the same people that are being treated as ‘others’ simultaneously cannot endure and achieve insurmountable things is only further degrading the incredible strength and power that disabled people withhold. The next time you enter a building, consider how accessible the door to enter is. The next time you walk through a grocery store, consider the accessibility barriers: narrow aisles, tall shelves, wheelchair-inaccessible checkout counters. The next time you post on social media, consider the language you use such as crazy, deaf, blind, dumb, etc. As was quoted in the Crip Camp documentary, “move the architectural barriers—we can work.” 

Additional website with a longer video and some more information about the documentary:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/26/health/crip-camp-americans-with-disabilities-act-wellness/index.html

Anti-Fat Bias and Weight Discrimination–is this Racist?

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Podcast Transcript: 

Hi, so today we are going to talk a little bit about anti-fat bias and weight-discrimination and whether or not that is racist. So, we’re first going to start off talking about a French naturalist named George Louis Lectere, and he was a...the first scientist to note Black people as “plump, idle, and insipid”. So, he argued that external characteristics were physical markers of distinction between different types ..“types” of people…”types” in quotes..um, so basically, he viewed white people as being on top of this hierarchy that he saw in his head um, and we see there that that is very clearly um kinda showing a link between racism and anti—fatness. And that is kinda perpetuated by Ancel Keys after World War II with his creation of BMI. So, Ancel keys is a statistician who created this very unethical study. I won’t get into it too much, but ultimately what developed was the creation of BMI which um, I am sure you all are familiar with. Um, a measurement of body fat index, um supposedly. Um, but it really is not a great tool and again Ancel was a statistician, not a doctor, so there’s a lot of problems there as well. So, moving on from that, we’re gonna kinda talk about practical barriers that fat people face when accessing medical care. So, there is of course plenty of these, but there’s a few important ones to note are:  

  • not having health concerns taken seriously,  
  • um..having anything that is going wrong, any problem that they have—blamed on weight 
  • Um, doctors making assumptions around activity levels and around eating 
  • And, disregard for conditions that may contribute to weight gain 
  • undiagnosed eating disorders 

Um, I think this is something that is becoming more and more of an issue or people are maybe becoming more aware of it as an issue. Um, this was my personal experience as well. So even, just being someone who doesn’t fit the perfect stereotype as..of a person with an eating disorder, mine went undiagnosed for a very long time so, this is really common that doctors just overlook diagnosis because of you know, whatever they look at with physical stereotypes. Um, and so anti-fat bias absolutely comes into play in medical practice—and I think people assume that it doesn’t. 

Um, so next we are going to talk about Black..Barrier’s that face Black People and some of those are going to overlap—probably most of them, actually will overlap.  

So, there’s gonna be difficulty accessing culturally competent doctors. So, I mean not to say their can’t be a white doctor who is culturally competent, um but most people are going to be more comfortable with a doctor they feel is going to be able to respect them and to understand them and there are a lot of white doctors who maybe are not going to be able to do that [due to white privilege] and who have be discriminatory in the past, who have you know, said something that was, you know, a microaggression. And so that hesitancy with the medical profession is already there for a lot of Black people and so a lot of people are going to be more comfortable with someone they feel more comfortable with. Um, and so, already having that limited access is going to make that process more difficult. Plus, then you’ve got insurance and transportation barriers um, and so there’s a lot of things that make taking the first step and finding a docor very difficult.  

Then, once you get in the door, you know, there’s issues with people not having their pain levels taken seriously and maybe even disregarded altogether uh, I think this is especially and issues in Black women. It’s really an issue where Black women are kinda viewed as very strong and independent and powerful and somehow that means they are void of having any pain and um, obviously that is not true, so when using something like a pain scale, it be really inaccurate or not taken seriously by doctors. Doctors can Fail to meet cultural needs. Um, and again, make vast assumptions about diet and exercise 

So, now we are gonna talk about The Conflict Between Thick and Fat which was published by Da’Shaun Harrison. And so, this basically talks about thickness and not fatness. So, thick, is used as a compliment while still denying fat people um, as a society, community, housing, employment. And, so basically this is a part of desirability politics and within this, language is a huge component of that. So fat people, have kinda as a whole have been conditioned to prefer terms like thick, big, and big-boned because so often fat is used in a very weaponized manner and you know so, even fat people are hesitant to use it. And some people are very comfortable with it and some people are not and so it’s sorta in flux for a lot of people.  

And so, then we’re gonna move on to Not all Fat Black Boys Know How to Eat. So this is kind of a personal experience for  Da’Shaun and their visit to a doctor as a fat Black child. And so they recalled the doctor questioning them about what they ate, when they ate, why they wouldn’t eat. And they recall having rejected eating because they feared getting fatter and the doctor responded–”Well, if you don’t eat, your body will assume that you’re starving itself and will make you gain more weight”. And while this may have some truth to it, it is really a problematic statement. It doesn’t really help you move beyond the fear of getting fat. It just kinda convinces you to eat to protect yourself from getting fat. Um, I was actually told this same thing in an eating disorder treatment center and um, at the time I was like “wow, this is very helpful for me”, but now looking back I am like “that is so Not helpful”. So, yeah, and then he (the doctor) was told that they could not eat like an apple because that was too small and that a salad would be too much because they’d use too much dressing and eating pizza would be too shameful to eat in front of anyone. And, they were even diagnosed with a gastro-intestinal disorder. And even that..with that, they were still criticized for their body and their weight.  

And then we move on to the next article which is Within a White Supremacist System Eric Garner’s True Crime was Being Fat and this was by Sherronda Brown. This talks about David Pantaleo and he murdered Eric Garner but ultimately was only fired—was not prosecuted for the crime. And, there were several who surrounded the case, including an NYPD Union Lawyer who is quoted as saying “he was (meaning Eric Garner) a ticking time bomb who resisted arrest. If he was put in a bear hug, it would have been the same outcome” and what was this outcome? That Eric Garner, and this is what his autopsy showed, had a fatal asthma attack which led to cardiac arrest. And so, basically Eric Garner’s weight, and his race were used against him and as the reason that he died, when realistically the reason that he died was the NY police department and this officer as well as the officers that stood around and watched and claimed that they didn’t interfere because they thought that he was “playing possum” and Representative from New York Peter King said that “If I had not had…If he had not had asthma and a heart condition and was so obese, almost definitely he would not have died from this”. You see we’ve got a lot of people who have no idea, who no medical experience or education, making a lot of very bold assumptions about Eric Garner and his experience and his health and his body that they have no grounds to make and how that this kinda really shows how linked race and fatness are and it’s not just in the case of Eric Garner, but in general in our society. They are linked both in a really broad way, and in very individual circumstances. And um, to kinda summarize, anti-fatness and anti-blackness is inherent. Both are used to dehumanize Black people. Both are used to link fatness and laziness, immorality, and low mental health status, and both are incarnations of white supremacy and eugenics.  

And that’s all I have– 

Thank you. 

  

References 

Brown, S. J. (2019, June 17). Within a White Supremacist System, Eric Garner’s True Crime Was Being Fat. Wear Your Voice. https://www.wearyourvoicemag.com/eric-garner-fatphobia/. 

Harrison, D. (2020, June 30). Not All Fat Black Boys Know How To Eat. Wear Your Voice. https://www.wearyourvoicemag.com/not-all-fat-black-boys-know-how-to-eat/. 

Harrison, D. (2018, June 30). The Conflict Between Thick and Fat – Da’Shaun L. Harrison. Da’Shaun L. Harrison. https://dashaunharrison.com/the-conflict-between-thick-and-fat/.

 

Diary of Systemic Injustice Showcase-Barriers to Access Related to Disability

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While I would like to say that the hardest part of the recent months has been missing going out to restaurants, making plans with friends, or walking across a bustling campus, the reality is that the most difficult part for me is know that all of what has been “normal” throughout the last year will soon be coming to an end. As someone with a disability, the last year has offered me supports that I have never received throughout my entire life: time to care for myself, time for my body to heal, and time to live without any expectations from others. For many disabled people, living in a society designed for able-bodied people takes a significant toll that is not realized be able-bodied people themselves. If you don’t have to think about lighting triggering a seizure or a migraine, narrowness of hallways impeding mobility, straw usage being critical to accessibility, a door’s weight being too heavy, or stairs being used in place of a ramp, then you may not realize the barriers that they (and many other factors) create in the lives of disabled people. 

There are a few categories I’ll use to describe some of the ways disabled people face barriers: lack of accommodations, expectation to be either helpless or an inspiration, and the treatment of chronically ill/disabled people as being very different than acutely ill people. Although reasonable accommodations are required through the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is still common for disabled people to face discrimination in employment, education, and in their day to day lives. This might include being overlooked for a job or being told that your particular disability does not “qualify” for an accommodation even though it would be helpful to the student’s academic work and ability.  

Another common theme among abled people is the notion to either view disabled people as helpless or to view them as an inspiration because they have “been through so much”. This perpetuates the notion that being disabled is somehow inherently “bad” rather than acknowledge that if systemic and social barriers were removed from society, then disabled people would not face many of the challenges that make them appear so “inspirational”. When disabled people are used and viewed as so called “inspiration porn”, this is othering them rather than treating us with humility and as people who deserve respect and are equal to abled people. 

When viewing someone with an acute diagnosis (like someone with a broken leg) versus someone with a chronic illness (like Rheumatoid Arthritis or Crohns disease), people often give much more attention to the person with the acute diagnosis or condition because it has an identifiable beginning and some semblance of an identifiable end where they will no longer need to inquire about their condition. However, chronic conditions often do not get better. They may consistently decline, or they may be cyclical and have periods where pain is minimal. This is often poorly understood and causes people to assume a disabled person is “cured” or was making up the disability. 

I encourage anyone who read this to look around you as you move through the world and consider how accessible it is. Could a wheelchair move through it? Is the countertop low enough more someone in a wheelchair? Is your job flexible for someone with a chronic condition? Is your home accessible? Can you make any small changes if it isn’t? You do not know who has a disability merely because you cannot see it written blatantly. Accessibility needs to be the standard, not an afterthought. 

Media Additions:

Week 8: Comparison of Persepolis as Film versus Persepolis as Graphic Novel

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Persepolis holds value in both its film and novel versions, though each impact consumers in unique manners. These differences can be categorized into plot, characterization, and design elements.  

The graphic novel format of Persepolis begins with an opening chapter titled “The Veil” in which Marji is shown as a young girl in 1980 wearing her own veil (IvyPanda). In contrast, the film begins with Marji in adulthood in which she is shown folding a veil over her head (IvyPanda). The graphic novel is told in patches and highlights selected events while the film portrays more of a flowing narrative (IvyPanda). However, there are certain ‘chapters’ that get left out, including “The Letter” and “The Jewels” (IvyPanda). Additionally, while the book tends to give very detailed accounts of the story of Marji’s first love, this is not nearly as present in the film (IvyPanda). The final scene of the film is not present in the novel at all and depicts Marji taking a cab to the airport; when the cab driver asks where she is from, she responds ‘Iran’ (IvyPanda). 

Characterization is another aspect of the film making process that differs across formats of presentation. For example, the film excludes several characters that are present in the graphic novel. This includes the women who insult Mali and Marji’s mother at the grocery store, Mali and her children, and Mr. Satrapi’s maid (IvyPanda). Additionally, Markus (Marji’s first boyfriend) has a reduced role in the film in comparison to his very extensively described impact and presence conveyed in the novel (IvyPanda). The cab driver is the only character that appears in the film but is not present in the novel (IvyPanda). 

The final aspect that makes the film presentation different than the graphic novel are elements of design. While the novel goes into detail and incorporates extensive buildup of climactic dramatization, the film sacrifices this for use of other effects (T). In producing the film, certain scenes (and thus, characters) have been cut from the narrative. In doing so, the film utilized this extra time by prioritizing the events and themes in Marji’s life that had the greatest impact on her development (T). While the scenes that were cut bolstered these themes and added new ones, such as class separation and failure of independence, they were not necessary for the story of Persepolis to be told effectively (T). Production of film also allowed for the addition of sound, music, and real-time comparisons of shots by using dissolves rather than being limited solely to still shots, as is the case with a graphic novel (T). This helps to guide consumers of the film through the process of making comparisons and connections rather than assuming that they will make them on their own (T). The use of color is also a significant difference between the two modes of conveying Marji’s story. In the film, we see color used to distinguish both a temporal element of present time as well as a personal sense of identity development in which Marji no longer sees the world in black and white schemes. This is supported by Marji identifying that she is from Iran when confronted with the cab driver’s inquiry–a drastic difference from her response given in Vienna in which she told a group of peers that she was French in order to attempt avoiding backlash.

References 

“Persepolis; The Book versus The Movie.” IvyPanda, 16 Oct. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/persepolis-the-book-versus-the-movie/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021. 

T, R. “Persepolis Analysis: The Differences of a Comic Book Turned into a Movie.” Classic but New, 9 Nov. 2013, classicbutnew.wordpress.com/2013/11/09/persepolis-analysis-the-differences-of-a-comic-book-turned-into-a-movie.