Jordin Manning, 20, They/Them Jordin is a third year sophomore at Kent State University studying psychology. They identify as Non-Binary & Sapphic and uses they/them pronouns. I chose Jordin for this interview because they have worked in the LGBTQ community since coming to Kent State. Altogether, Jordin has had positions in Threads, an organization that focuses on the intersection of being a queer person of color. They’ve also be…
Imagine having to rely solely on your social groups to understand something that goes beyond yourself. What would you know about a race, class, language, lifestyle, or even culture if you weren’t exposed to them on a regular basis? The answer for most people would be nothing beyond what they have learned from the media. The media can be considered the most potent means of communication. From television and movies…
*Suddenly, techno symphony music played and my attention was glued to the television screen; “Korben Dallas! Here he is, the one and only winner of the Gemini Croquet contest…” My eyes expanded widely as a cheetah printed bodysuit glided to the vocal point of the screen. Interest was immediately sparked when Ruby Rhod, a black androgynous radio host with cutting edge fashion and wigs, stepped onto the television during the…
I will never be a feminist. I understand that is a very extreme statement to make, but the feminist movement relentlessly proves to be a notion that I can not stand behind. I do not believe in achieving women’s rights based on the equality of sexes, when there is not even a less painful, more evident equality between white and marginalized women. I refuse to be invisible and pose with…
With a few ill-advised strokes of his pen, Donald Trump demonstrably changed the environment for millions of immigrants in America and hundreds of thousands hoping to gain entry to the States. Trump’s executive orders on immigration — the first struck down in court, the second currently in legal limbo — sparked a wave of violence and vitriol against immigrants and people of color, while grassroots efforts rose to fight for…
John D. Rockefeller once said, “I don’t want a nation of thinkers, I want a nation of workers.” A nation of workers is the society we live in today. For 23 years of my life, I have seen the people surrounding me living paycheck to paycheck, unhappy and deprived of the joys life has to offer. Too often, regret comes in the form of “I wish,” “I should’ve,” and “I…
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine; et lux perpetua luceat eis Grant them eternal rest, O Lord: And may perpetual light shine upon them. These rhythms were written by Giuseppe Verdi, an Italian poet and novelist, to commemorate the life of a friend in the late 1800s. What does his words have to do with art, poetry and remembrance? They allow us to remember that art should be commemorated and…
Throughout history, black culture has been belittled while simultaneously used as a source of revenue by those who are not directly a part of the community. However, throughout the past decade, a revitalization of African culture has become an important factor in the black community. Young teens, millennials and celebrities alike are wearing fashions from or inspired by African countries. The club scene even includes more Afro beat sounds. As…
After a long day of news updates and refreshing my Facebook feed, I find myself asking, “How the heck did we get here?” We heckled for months the idea of “Celebrity Apprentice” star Donald Trump getting anywhere near the White House. I mean, there was absolutely no way, right? Meme after meme, laugh after laugh, we were convinced that nobody would really vote for him. Right? But they did, and…
I was five years old when I first thought the world would be a better place without me. I was five years old when I decided that I did not want to be me anymore. I didn’t want the burden of being inside my own brain and I surely didn’t want anyone else to feel the burden of knowing me. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “As…
