In this week’s videos and readings to me were nerve wrenching and depressing. But at the same time, I know its knowledge and can help all of us in understanding and what to expect. I have been seeing this all over the news. It has made me angry and cringe at the thought. We live in the year 2022 how can the Government think overturning abortion rights is right, how are we not moving forward instead of backwards? Why do they want this control over a woman’s body? Did they make a woman’s body? Hell No! I believe that banning abortion is a damaging consequence for women mentally why would anyone force a woman to do what they do not want to do. What happened to NO means NO….  

Hearing about the leaked draft regarding abortion rights and then reading about it make things seem helpless and fear full for the women now and in the future. It made me think about the women who would have their lives affected by this overturn. How would they even begin to feel or think if they will not be able to get an abortion due to unforeseen circumstances? It will be a battle that they have to be strong to fight against. It makes me sad for them. See I have always felt that a woman has her right to do what she will with her body whatever that may be and not with all this happening. It is a shame that after so many years they even think of such a horrible overturn. All this makes me think that all these other rights that we fought for and overcame can now be overturned and dismantled, this makes one feel helpless. I just hate that this is even being considered. What happens to the rest of the other rights, do they all go to the garbage also? Why is all this happening today? 

Melissa Valle Discussion 13 

Frida Kahlo: a feminist figure, a brilliant artist, and the original icon for strong brows. Invented Traditions (Tradiciones Inventadas) examines Kahlo’s use of clothing and hairstyles to craft her own appearance, much the same way she used paint to create images on canvas. Featuring textiles and garments as pieces of art popular, the exhibit includes a local Tehuana dress that was a signature aspect of Kahlo’s personal style. Jackson Cole Phillips, an American industrialist, friend of Kahlo’s. 

This piece of art caught my eye because of her  unmistakable bold brows her light  
mustache, yet she still has a beautiful look to herself. Like no matter what I am beautiful and that everyone should embrace their looks no matter what. So beautiful. 

The readings A Birth Story and 12 Reasons should be illegal for doctors not to treat a trans person. The reads were not surprising to me as in the news and some nurses that I know have told me some horrible stories that even they have a tough time accepting. in the read A Birth Story, it made me angry that they would put this woman threw this stressful situation was so humiliating, then they had the audacity to make her walk with her baby while she just gave natural birth, to her room. I would have wanted to walk out myself. How come people in the medical field are so damn cruel? If you do not like you job as a Nurse or Doctor quit, it is such a disgrace for a doctor to carry the title as a Dr, and then they have feelings or beliefs that disagree with the treatment or care for any persons who are transgender, colored or may have a different background. Anyone who seeks care should be received with care, respect, and consideration for their health concerns. Transgender people need medical care to they are human beings just like the rest of us. They are not aliens. I always have issues when people treat other people with such disrespect.  

In the film “Period End of Sentence.” This film shows how the women in India are learning how to work with machines so they can create their own pads and educate others about menstruation and usage of the pads. In the film you can see that the women and girls do not like to talk about their menstruation, they look shy and embarrassed. I have always though that all women and girls around the world knew about pads and used them.  

It’s no secret that identity politics has had a profound impact on American society. From protests and movements, to social commentary and political discourse, identity politics has been a major part of our culture for the past four decades.
It’s in these moments that we’re introduced to the power of identity politics. We learn about the ways that these social categories have been used to construct our society and our world, and we learn about the ways that we can use our identities to challenge these systems and construct new ones. This is a critical part of understanding identity politics. It’s in these moments that we’re introduced to the ways that social categories such as race, gender, and sexual orientation have been used to construct society, and the ways that we can use our identities to challenge these systems and construct new ones.
In the years since Combahee, we’ve seen identity politics come to dominate our culture. From the Women’s March to the New York City Council to the nation’s college campuses, identity politics has played a major role in our society. And while it’s undeniable that identity politics has had an impact on our culture, it’s also important to understand the ways that these social categories have been used and misused.

Melissa Valle Discussion #10

What is meant by the following quote? “we might use our position at the bottom to make a clear leap into revolutionary action. If black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression”. I think that here in the United States, black women have been at the bottom of the social hierarchy for centuries. This has given black women a unique vantage point from which to observe and analyze the system of oppression that has been imposed on them and others. It has also given them a unique platform from which to rebel against the system and fight for their own freedom and the freedom of others. When black women are free, it has been demonstrated over and over again that it causes a chain reaction which results in the liberation of others.

One of the most famous examples of a film captures the importance of black feminism is Paris Is Burning. It follows the lives of several drag queens and ballroom dancer in New York city during the 1980’s is an accurate depiction of the ways in which black feminism has shaped the feminist movement. It shows the ways in which black feminist has brought issues of race and gender to the forefront and kept them there, event when it meant disregarding some of the moderate voices of movement. Black feminism is often criticized for being too focused on the experiences of black women, rather than the experiences of all women. This is often referred to as “identity politics,” and is opposed to what is referred to as “class politics,” The Combahee River Collective argued that black women should focus on and work on behalf of the liberation of black women, and that black women should not work toward the liberation of white women and men, since these groups were also oppressors. They also argued that black women should work toward the liberation of gay and transgender men and women, who were also oppressed by the system, because black women had a stake in the system and were therefore allies in the struggle against it.

Race and gender are often connected in the world of capitalism, as those who have power over the means of production often hold a racial and gender perspective. It is therefore not surprising that many people who are the victims of capitalist oppression are often the objects of attacks by those who have power over the means of production. This is the case in this story. By focusing on the oppression of black women in the story