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“When in doubt, choose a different costume,” Baylor expert says Megyn Kelly, host of NBC’s “Megyn Kelly Today,” is facing national criticism for her suggestion during a roundtable discussion this week that it was OK for white people to dress in blackface for Halloween. After two days of backlash, media accounts reveal that the future of her career is in question. But the questions she raised regarding blackface and cultural appropriation should be addressed, especially as Halloween approaches, said Mia Moody-Ramirez, Ph.D., professor of journalism, public relations and new media in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences. She is a nationally known expert on mass media representations of minorities, women and other underrepresented groups and coauthored the new book "From Blackface to Black Twitter: Reflections on Black Humor, Race, Politics, & Gender." Moody-Ramirez said people need to understand the historical significance of blackface to grasp its negative reception today. “When you know better, you do better,” she said. At its base form, she said, blackface is the use of makeup by a nonblack person to appear black. She added that many people do not understand why the seemingly simple act of a white person darkening his skin like a black person at Halloween – even if it’s an act to honor a favorite entertainer or sports figure – can be offensive. “Dressing in blackface during Halloween is inappropriate because the blackface tradition is founded upon the enactment of demeaning stereotypes of black people,” Moody-Ramirez explained. “Blackface has been frowned upon since the blackface minstrel shows of 18th and 19th centuries when various aspects of African/African American culture were appropriated and used for profit. Dressing up in blackface invokes representations of unflattering images of blacks as lazy, unintelligent and criminal in nature.” Yet the issue is bigger than blackface. Any cultural appropriation – defined as the adoption of elements of a minority culture by members of the dominant culture – can be deemed inappropriate and offensive. “Cultural appropriation is distinct from equal cultural exchange because of the presence of power inequities that are a consequence of oppression,” Moody-Ramirez said. “Cultural appropriation is important to consider during Halloween because this is the time of year when we are most likely to dress up in a costume that is representative of another culture.” Common cultural appropriation missteps include darkening one’s face, wearing ethnic garb and/or dressing up to provoke laughter rather than show respect for a group/person, she said. “When considering a costume, think of whether it would show honor or disrespect for a group/person,” Moody-Ramirez advised. “If you don’t know the meaning of the ethnic attire you are considering for Halloween, you shouldn’t wear it. For instance, tribal markings, headdresses and turbans would not be appropriate costume attire because they are tied to a specific ceremony or religious meaning.” Showing respect for other cultures should include honoring their traditions. “Some cultures have laws that ban or restrict individuals from wearing religious attire in public places. Other cultures save certain attire for special ceremonies and honors,” Moody-Ramirez said. Moody-Ramirez offered the following tips to consider when choosing a Halloween costume this year. Avoid dressing in a costume that will reflect another ethnicity or culture. Choose something that is fun and tasteful – animals, movie characters (without darkening your skin), ghosts, ghouls, etc. If you dress like someone of a different ethnicity/culture, don’t darken your face or emphasize features like eyes, teeth or noses. Think about whether the costume will be perceived as tasteful or tasteless. Use the grandmother test. If you post it on social media, would your grandmother be proud or disappointed? “When in doubt,” she said, “choose a different costume.” ABOUT MIA MOODY-RAMIREZ, Ph.D. Mia Moody-Ramirez, Ph.D., is the director of graduate studies, director of American studies and professor of journalism, public relations and new media in the Baylor University College of Arts & Sciences. Her research emphasizes mass media representations of women, minorities and other underrepresented groups. She recently coauthored the book "From Blackface to Black Twitter: Reflections on Black Humor, Race, Politics, & Gender." Other books include: “The Obamas and Mass Media: Race, Gender, Religion, and Politics (Palgrave Macmillan) with Dr. Jannette Dates, and “Black and Mainstream Press’ Framing of Racial Profiling: A Historical Perspective” (University Press of America). Ramirez is head of the Minorities and Communication division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), which is committed to advancing research, teaching and professional freedom and responsibility scholarship and initiatives that explore the relationship between racial and ethnic minorities and mass communication. In August, she was presented with AEJMC’s Lionel Barrow Jr. Award for Distinguished Achievement in Diversity Research and Education and also was recognized as one of nine Institute for Diverse Leadership in Journalism and Communication Fellows. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT BAYLOR’S COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University’s oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 25 academic departments and seven academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 coursestaught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines. Visit www.baylor.edu/artsandsciences.
Baylors Benjamin Franklin Scholars Bring Light to Complex Figure
Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was a complex man. Among his many roles, he was a businessman, entrepreneur, inventor, journalist, author, printer, editor, politician, postmaster, statesman, ambassador and signer of the Declaration of Independence. And even with a treasure trove of accomplishments, sometimes the Franklin legends are bigger than Franklin the man – and it’s taken an army of historians and scholars throughout the centuries to sort it out. As July 4 Independence Day approaches, Baylor University's two Franklin scholars share different perspectives of Franklin, his faith and his business acumen: Thomas S. Kidd, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of History and associate director of Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion Blaine McCormick, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the management department in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business Both have penned Franklin books and both have been featured nationally for their research on the Founding Father. Kidd’s 2017 book, “Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father,” has received high marks for its analysis of Franklin’s beliefs. From his Puritan upbringing to deism, skepticism and more, the book explores the influences and evolution of faith throughout Franklin’s life. “In today’s polarized political and religious environment, some pundits seek to remake the Founding Fathers in their own image. Benjamin Franklin’s example reveals that the historical truth is often more complicated,” Kidd wrote in a May 2017 column for The Wall Street Journal. McCormick, who wrote “Ben Franklin: America’s Original Entrepreneur,” discovered a passion to study the Founding Father after listening to an audiobook of Franklin’s autobiography. “Franklin could do things as a statesman, and understand things, and achieve things as a statesman, because he had achieved things in the marketplace first,” he said. “I’ve yet to find a better book for businesspeople to learn about how to run a business in the American Experiment. He wrote the autobiography to help train people in the life of business. Many of the principles are still very robust.” And the way he shared those principles (many of which have been misquoted and made into memes through the decades) is important, McCormick said. “Franklin used sentences no longer than a Tweet to train generations of colonial businesspeople,” he said. “They were short. They were memorable. They were high-impact.” ABOUT THOMAS KIDD, PH.D. Thomas S. Kidd, Ph.D., serves as Distinguished Professor of History and associate director of Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion. His books include “Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Lie of a Founding Father, “American Colonial History: Clashing Cultures and Faiths,” “Baptists in America: A History,” “George Whitefield: America’s Spiritual Founding Father,” “Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots,” “God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution,” “American Christians and Islam” and “The Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America.” He has written for outlets including The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. ABOUT BLAINE MCCORMICK, PH.D. Blaine McCormick, Ph.D., serves as chair of the management department in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business, is a nationally recognized scholar on the business practices of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison. McCormick is interviewed frequently across all forms of media including Forbes, The New York Times, CNN, public radio, and ABC World News Tonight. He often travels to developing countries to teach business lessons to undereducated entrepreneurs using only a bottle of Coca-Cola as a teaching aid. A native Texan, McCormick grew up working in the cotton fields of West Texas. Before joining the Baylor faculty, he worked in Dallas and Plano for ARCO Oil & Gas Company as a human resource management professional. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.
Grip Strength of Children Gives Clues about Their Future Health, Study Finds
Measuring hand grip can help identify youths who could benefit from lifestyle changes to improve health, Baylor researcher says Adolescents with a strong hand grip — an indicator of overall muscle strength — have better odds of being healthy over time, according to a two-year study of 368 elementary school children. While other studies have shown that muscle weakness as measured by grip strength is a predictor of unhealthy outcomes — including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, disability and even early mortality — this is the first to do so for adolescent health over time, a Baylor University researcher said. “What we know about today’s kids is that because of the prevalence of obesity, they are more at risk for developing pre-diabetes and cardiovascular disease than previous generations,” said senior author Paul M. Gordon, Ph.D., professor and chair of health, human performance and recreation in Baylor’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. “This study gives multiple snapshots over time that provide more insight about grip strength and future risks for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” he said. “Low grip strength could be used to predict cardiometabolic risk and to identify adolescents who would benefit from lifestyle changes to improve muscular fitness.” The study — "Grip Strength is Associated with Longitudinal Health Maintenance and Improvement in Adolescents" — is published in The Journal of Pediatrics. It was conducted by researchers at Baylor University, the University of Michigan and the University of New England. Students tracked in the study were assessed in the fall of their fourth-grade year and at the end of the fifth grade. Using the norms for grip strengths in boys and girls, researchers measured the students’ grips in their dominant and non-dominant hands with an instrument called a handgrip dynamometer. Researchers found that initially, 27.9 percent of the boys and 20.1 percent of the girls were classified as weak. Over the course of the study, boys and girls with weak grips were more than three times as likely to decline in health or maintain poor health as those who were strong. Researchers also screened for and analyzed other metabolic risk factor indicators, including physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition (the proportion of fat and fat-free mass), blood pressure, family history, fasting blood lipids and glucose levels. “Even after taking into account other factors like cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity and lean body mass, we continue to see an independent association between grip strength and both cardiometabolic health maintenance and health improvements,” Gordon said. While much emphasis has been placed on the benefits of a nutritious diet and aerobic activity, this study suggests that greater emphasis needs to be placed on improving and maintaining muscular strength during adolescence. If someone with a strong grip develops an even stronger grip, “we don’t necessarily see a drastic improvement in that individual’s health,” Gordon noted. “It’s the low strength that puts you at risk. “Given that grip strength is a simple indicator for all-cause death, cardiovascular death and cardiovascular disease in adults, future research is certainly warranted to better understand how weakness during childhood tracks into and throughout adulthood,” he said. “Testing grip strength is simple, non-invasive and can easily be done in a health care professional’s office. It has value for adults and children.” *An estimated 17.2 percent of U.S. children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years are obese and another 16.2 percent are overweight, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Excess weight carries a greater lifetime risk of diabetes and premature heart disease. While the World Health Organization and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that youths perform at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily — including vigorous activity at least three days a week — fewer than a quarter of U.S. children do so, according to a report by the nonprofit National Physical Activity Plan Alliance. ABOUT THE STUDY The data source was the Cardiovascular Health Intervention Program (CHIP), supported by a subcontract from the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., which was funded from The Clark Charitable Foundation. Co-researchers were lead author Mark D. Peterson, Ph.D., assistant professor, University of Michigan Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Baylor graduate Sonja Smeding, B.S. (Biology), ’18; and Paul Visich, Ph.D., professor and chair, University of New England’s Department of Exercise and Sport Performance in Biddeford, Maine. ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. ABOUT THE ROBBINS COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES The Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences at Baylor University was established in 2014, a result of identified priorities for strengthening the health sciences through Baylor’s strategic vision, Pro Futuris, which serves as a compass for the University’s future. The anchor academic units that form the new College – Communication Sciences and Disorders, Family and Consumer Sciences and Health, Human Performance and Recreation – share a common purpose: improving health and the quality of life. The College is working to create curricula that promote a team-based approach to patient care and establish interdisciplinary research collaborations to advance solutions for improving the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities. For more information visit Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences.
The Past Continues to Influence Today
As a man not only raised by strong women, but also trained in the academy to focus on racial and gender oppression, I understand the need and power of the #MeToo Movement. I am an ally. But at the same time, I am quite aware As a self-proclaimed “woke” black man and academic, the phrase, "I believe the women," reverberates abruptly off the pages of Black U.S. history. Evidence of my fear is hanging from the ceiling of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. The museum was constructed by the will of the Equal Justice Institute; a non-profit organization founded and led by Bryan Stevenson on April 26, 2018. The opening of its doors symbolizes the country’s first memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved black people who were victims of white terroristic behaviors that included lynching. The men’s names that hang from the ceiling are evidence of a presumption of guilt and consequential violence to the said accuser. In reference to Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit, the “southern trees [bore] a strange fruit.” The museum gives voice to 4,000 black men, women, and children who were not simply tortured, but lynched, burned, castrated. The incident that recently occurred in Brooklyn signifies that the past continues to influence today.
Will gun control be a ballot box issue this November?
This week celebrated National Voter Registration Day, a cross-country effort to encourage those who have not registered to vote in the upcoming elections to take a mere three minutes to register. With Washington divided and both houses competing for power, November’s mid-terms will be a showdown between parties, ideas and polices. Gender may also play a part in how the results come out. Rosalyn Cooperman, a member of Gender Watch 2018, a non-partisan project to track, analyze and illuminate gender dynamics in Election 2018, writes that the difference between men and women voters on guns matter in the midterms. A recent poll of registered voters by Morning Consult and Politico shows there are important differences in attitudes about gun control measures among and between Democratic, Republican, and Independent men and women voters. This may be one of the most contentious and hard-fought elections in history. That’s where our experts can help. Dr. Rosalyn Cooperman's expertise focuses on women in politics. She is available to speak with media regarding this issue in America. Simply click on Rosalyn’s icon to arrange an interview. Source:
Real solutions to the world’s refugee crisis
Just last week, the United States announced its lowest refugee cap in history. Meanwhile, for the fifth year in a row, globally, we have reached a record number of displaced people around the world whose displacement will likely last decades. Refugees are increasingly living outside of camps in middle to low-income countries where they struggle to get their footing. At the same time, the communities that host them are burdened by the influx of a needy population and the tension that can arise when aid bypasses local organizations. Recently, a panel hosted by Catholic Relief Services invited key industry leaders to discuss these challenges and how responding agencies, governments and donors can better support the local communities in ways that promote safety, dignity, and lasting solutions. Bill O'Keefe is the Vice President for Government Relations and Advocacy with Catholic Relief Services and oversees the efforts to impact U.S. foreign policy in ways that reduce poverty overseas. Bill is available to speak to media regarding refugees and how those lasting solutions can be found. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview. Source:
Former U.S. Attorney Available to Discuss Fallout for Trump Administration in Light of Cohen Plea
Wheaton College Professor David Iglesias, a former U.S. Attorney in New Mexico whose areas of expertise include federal prosecutions, is available for interviews regarding the fallout for the Trump administration in light of Michael Cohen’s guilty plea in federal court on 8 criminal counts, including violation of campaign finance laws. “President Trump is now in a place few presidents have ever been,” Iglesias says. “At this point, he is basically an unindicted co-conspirator to federal crimes.” “I wouldn’t call it the beginning of the end, but it’s certainly the end of the beginning.” Iglesias is an associate professor of politics and law and director of the Wheaton Center for Faith, Politics, and Economics. He can discuss topics including: -The process of presidential pardons -How federal prosecutors treat indicted persons who cooperate with information concerning the crimes of other persons, and the quid pro quo for getting an individual to cooperate with law enforcement -Guilty pleas, hung juries, and sentencing in federal court -Impeachment (What Iglesias calls “the nuclear option for removing a sitting President of the United States”), the process, and why it has happened so rarely in U.S. history -Whether a sitting president can be indicted for crimes -The importance of the rule of law (Why is America the world leader for holding all accountable for their actions? What message is being sent if wealthy and powerful people can avoid criminal exposure for their actions?) -Watergate as a precedent, and similarities/differences with the current situation -Rules of federal investigations (How do federal agencies conduct investigations? What is public and what is non-public? Why are prosecutions that are considered "political" so dangerous for law enforcement?) To request an interview with Professor Iglesias, e-mail Wheaton College Director of Media Relations LaTonya Taylor at latonya.taylor@wheaton.edu. Source:
It used to be a big deal – but has the once mighty blog gone bust?
In the days before Facebook … there were blogs. Blogs written by corporate leaders, academics, foodies, pundits and enthusiasts of every stripe. At one point, a blogger’s opinion could greenlight a film or sink a rising star. Blogs have massive influence. But those days are gone. Where blogs were once a salon for opinion and interest – the role that survived was usually as part of a larger institution’s communications strategy. It blended internal and external engagement – and it was effective. Until now, recently even Harvard acknowledged they were getting out of the blogging realm. But as blogs fade into the sunset – will the information, data and value be preserved? Should archives be created to maintain the history of these online conversations for future generations? Or, is it simply a delete and all that information is gone? Martha Burtis is the director of the digital knowledge center at the University of Mary Washington. An expert on this topic, she recently spoke with media regarding the winding down of blogs at Harvard. She is available to speak to media regarding this topic – simply click on her icon to arrange an interview. Source:
Understanding the meaning of America’s monuments
As the debate continues with what to do with Confederate monuments that dot America’s landscape, the experts from the University of Mary Washington have been lending perspective, knowledge and opinion to the conversation. Professor of Geography Stephen P. Hanna is part of a team of scholars from universities across the South who are investigating how enslavement is incorporated in the landscape and narratives of Southern plantation museums. A key part of this work is to suggest ways these museums can rework their tours and exhibits to help the public understand that slavery was central to both the lives of everybody who lived at these sites and to the development of American political and economic systems. Says Hanna: “A year after white supremacists rioted in Charlottesville, it is clear that the underlying issues related to racial justice have not gone away. African-Americans face arrest for simply being in places where whites suspect they don’t belong. Police are more likely to escalate their use of force more quickly when dealing with black Americans. In addition, both Blacks and Latinos are fighting efforts to make it harder for them to vote while Latino Immigrants have to fear deportation and family separation.” He continues: “The struggle over Confederate Memorials and the narratives presented as “history” at southern plantation museums must be seen within this context. The good news is that more people understand that statues of Robert E. Lee and costumed tour guides at plantation museums describing a romanticized version of the antebellum South don’t represent our shared past. Instead they are efforts to write a particular history that denies that our nation’s roots include enslavement of African-Americans and that slavery’s legacy includes the injustices non-whites endure today.” Dr. Hanna is available to speak with media regarding this topic. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview. Source:
Confederate monuments: How should America preserve and remember its history?
August 12 marks one year since a deadly march in Charlottesville, Virginia, when white nationalists showed up to protest the city's plans to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general. And one year later, the debates across America, particularly the South, continue about what should be done with Civil War-era monuments in town squares, public parks and other areas of high visibility. Most of the monuments were put in place decades after the end of the Civil War when whites in the South were reclaiming their dominant position socially and economically. So it’s not surprising that Confederate monuments are politically loaded. They were from the beginning, but the society in which the monuments find themselves has changed. What should be done with these monuments? Are they worthy of preservation? Should they be on display in a museum or discarded and forgotten? The pendulum is swinging very hard both ways on what to do, and that’s where the experts from the University of Mary Washington can help. Jason James, associate professor of sociology and anthropology, is a scholar of cultural memory who teaches a unique course called Practices of Memory, which focuses on the ways societies remember and forget the past through monuments and memorials, museums, film, and other media. This includes the debates over Confederate monuments and the commemoration of slavery. Jason is available to speak with media regarding this topic. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview. Source:
