A deeper dive into why teenage girls can’t enjoy anything without becoming the butt of a joke
Six years ago, girls got cold and decided to wear Ugg boots. It was fall so they would pick up a Pumpkin Spice Latte from their local Starbucks. Two things which should have had zero consequences, after all, it was just that era’s teenage girls existing.
However, that became known as the “basic” girl and was the last thing anyone wanted to be. Since then, it has been impossible for teenage girls to enjoy, well, anything, without becoming that year’s joke.
In this day and age of 2019, the “basic” girl returns. Except, they’ve been rebranded and are now known as “VSCO” girls. Do you carry a hydro flask? Do you keyboard smash or wear long t-shirts? Do you even dare to wear a scrunchie? Congratulations, you are now the butt of a worldwide joke.
What is it with the teen meme culture and destroying teenage girls for existing? If a girl follows along with her friends and gets a Hydro flask to do her part to help out the environment or she decides to wear a long t-shirt over shorts because it makes a cute and simple outfit, she’s a “VSCO” girl.
Being labeled wouldn’t be so bad if these girls weren’t being made fun of any time they participated in the aforementioned activities. This has happened before.
Not just in 2013 or before, it’s happened again previously in 2019. Did you wear eyeliner and lots of black? Draw little hearts under your eyes because it looks cute? Sorry, you might be an “E-Girl.”
History is repeating itself and as always, teenage girls are the victim. This dates back to decades ago with girls being deemed the “Rachels” during the Friends era, basic white girls, hipsters.
Time and time again, teenage girls are criticized not just for fitting in (re: VSCO girls) but for making attempts to stand out (re: E-Girls).
Girls should be able to walk through this world without everyone laughing at them. These jokes start off funny when they are contained to the realm of the internet, but even now these “harmless” memes are beginning to take off in the real world.
Although, you or your friends may laugh at the jokes about VSCO girls (you know, they are funny sometimes) but underneath this is a harmful stereotype that is part of a repeated cycle based on the idea of making a joke out of the next generation of girls.
If boys can be boys, it’s about time that girls can be girls too. Teen culture has turned into a vicious cycle where the new meme of the month is simply a girl trying to live her life.
VSCO girls, E-Girls, Horse Girls, and any other stereotyped teenage girl need to step it up and unite in order to take down the single, common enemy between all of them: E-Boys.
MVHS’s powerhouse varsity football team traveled to Kealakekua, Hawaii, in August and defeated Konawaena High School, dominating the field for almost the entire game.
Photo Creds to MVHS football
On August 23rd, the Diablos played in a non-conference game against the Wildcats in Kealakekua, located on the west coast of the main Hawaii island.
Along with the team’s victories against Santa Margarita, Villa Park, La Habra, their summer victory in Hawaii grants the team their current overall record of 4-0, ranking of 9th in California, and ranking of 56th in the entire nation.
While Mission flew through the first two quarters of the game, going 14-0 in the first quarter and 35-0 in the second, Konawaena fought back and scored a pair of touchdowns in both the third and fourth quarters.
Leaders of this game include starting passing quarterback Peter Costelli, rushing quarterback Jacquez Robertson, and receiver Joshua Welles on Mission. On the Konawaena side, passing quarterback Kainoa Jones, rushing quarterback Riley Sato, and receiver Kaden Baptista all led the game.
In the first quarter, TJ Roelen scored the first touchdown of the game with a 28 yard pass from Costelli. Additionally, Tyson Scott scored a touchdown with a 1 yard run. Both of the touchdowns in the first quarter came off Lopez’s kick.
With the Wildcats yet to score in the second quarter, the Diablos continued to blitz them by scoring three touchdowns. Costelli made another touchdown with a 42 yard run, Scott with 26 yards, and Ryder Fitch with a 28 yard interception return.
As a team, Mission notched 179 rushing yards in the first half, but the scoreboard did not tell the entire story on the defensive side. While the Wildcats were able to play with the Diablos for the majority of the first half, they were unsuccessful in preventing the big plays which resulted in a barely beatable 35 point lead for MV.
The second half of the game went by very quickly, as there was a running clock, but Lopez managed to make a 38 yard field goal in the third quarter.
Near the end of the third quarter, Konawaena used three consecutive completions and two 15 yard flags on MVHS to gain a 22 yard touchdown by H. Anahu-Ambrosio off of a pass from Jones.
Unfortunately, in the fourth quarter, Mission failed to score and the Wildcats added another score when A. Muti recovered a fumble far in the Diablos’ side and Jones passed to J. Roback who made an 8 yard touchdown.
In the end, MV won the game by 24 points, with 5 touchdowns. After their victorious game in Kealakekua against Konawaena High School, they proceeded to take on Santa Margarita 21-10, La Habra 23-6, and Villa Park 59-0.
The Diablos’ next game will be a home non-conference game against Saint Mary’s High School (from Stockton) on Friday, September 20th, for their homecoming game. It is clear that the Diablos will continue to give it their all, and hopefully many more victories are in store for this season!
When you hear “senior” you most likely think sarcastic and smart. After all, they have taken the most classes out of anybody on campus. Well, their wise words were once shared in yearbooks at Mission Viejo High School underneath their portraits.
According to members of the yearbook elective, senior quotes could be brought back to yearbooks this year after being banished four years ago. Many students in the class of 2020 are filled with joy after hearing this news.
“Since freshman year when they got rid of them, I lost hope. I haven’t really been thinking of one,” mentioned Luca Russell, a current senior at MVHS. Now with the possible comeback of these often inspiring phrases, seniors are looking everywhere for the one they want under their picture in the 2020 yearbook.
The yearbook committee decided to abolish senior quotes after they were becoming too inappropriate and not being turned in by the deadline. Collecting suitable expressions from every fourth-year student became too much of a hassle for all the hard work put in.
Many seniors are involved in extracurriculars that are not mentioned in the yearbook because they are not associated with the school, so their senior quote is one of the main ways they will be remembered by their peers when in ten years they’ll be looking back at these quotes before their high school reunion.
Some seniors are very passionate about senior quotes since yearbooks are passed out during the last week of school, and therefore are the conclusion to their high school legacy. “It’s the last impact that we have on Mission as we’re leaving and graduating, yeah you’re gonna look and see what your friends wrote in your yearbook, but that’s an impact on everyone’s.” Russell shared.
The time for senior portraits and now possibly senior quotes can have the class of 2020 stressed along with their post high school preparations, however many seniors take it very seriously because this quote is how they will be remembered by their peers they’ll never see after high school.
This quote allows them to give advice or a good laugh to the next wave of Diablos. While looking back at all the memories from the 2019-2020 school year, you get to be reminded of who you shared a campus with.
You may not realize it but everybody who graduates from Mission Viejo High School will be able to say “I am a Diablo,” with pride.
It is not easy being a high school student. With pressure about grades, clubs , and sports all looming over us, you will one day be able to say all your hard work was worth it when you go to your dream school, or get the job you always wished for.
Your senior quote is what you will always be remembered by after you take that journey into adulthood.
Senior quotes can either be humorous or motivating. If they are brought back, the class of 2020 will determine whether or not the comeback of senior quotes will stay.
This year is the trial run for attempt two at senior quotes. If this year is not executed successfully, the idea of senior quotes could become a joke for all Diablos, class of 2021 and after.
I encourage you to think of what you want your senior quote to be because having them brought back can close one chapter, as we begin another.
With this year’s Tahiti Pro, most people found themselves on the edge of their seats as they watched pro surfers Owen Wright and Gabriel Medina face off in the final round. As these two both surfed incredible waves that most people would have the instinct to run away from, the competition only got more fierce.
Australian Owen Wright, the 29 year old champ, surfed bravely with a white helmet on, after suffering from a serious head injury in 2015.
As Owen says, “Definitely when the waves get this size, I take all the precautionary measures. Having that helmet option, it just really quietened it down enough for me to just go and see these huge waves coming through and going ‘I’m going, I’ve got a helmet on, I can do it’. It just allowed me to go harder. For me it was a real blessing.”
Despite his accident surfing Pipeline years ago, Wright still continues surfing and gaining world titles. He even managed to score a perfect 10 on his first wave this year, leading him into the finals where he took down Medina.
The competition was close, and Medina is infamously known for finding the perfect spot to drop in on each wave, despite not having the right of way and cutting off the other surfers. Owen Wright stole this tactic and took waves away from Gabriel Medina this year, while landing close to perfect scores each time.
Surf reporters and viewers all thought Medina had it in the bag. But when it came down to it, the judges wanted to see a performance.
Finding the wave is only part of the competition, and with the waves decreasing with each hour that passed by, riding the wave was barely a factor in the judging. Wright gave the people something they weren’t expecting to see. Anyone could tell how in-sync he was with the water and how beautiful he made each movement.
During the awards, Medina explained how happy he was for Wright and how he knew from the start of the day he was going to have a tough time beating out Owen. He was grateful that he got that far, and through tears, he thanked God for being able to compete against one of his best friends.
As Wright was handed his multi-colored surfboard, he said, “The waves were nearly perfect, and to share that with a great mate, that was really special.”
His girlfriend met him on the boat where the awards were being given out and gave him a big hug. The Wright family celebrated together and were very excited that he won representing the Wright name, along with his country.
This wasn’t the first time the two have faced off, and last year, they knew the day would come again. This was the rematch they had been waiting for, and it was very worthwhile. Medina is going to keep training, and next year, maybe they’ll be able to face off for a third time.
Mission Viejo High School, full of thousands of unique people, boasts great diversity. However, one might argue that the biggest difference is the one between freshmen and seniors.
Pictured: Senior, Keilee Mori Photo Creds: Halley Carson
Coming up on the end of an era, the class of 2020 is frantically applying for colleges, studying hard, and doing everything they can to enjoy their last year at MVHS. In contrast, freshmen, only a few weeks into the school year, are still adjusting to the massive amounts of people attending high school.
Hunter David Pogue, a previous student at La Paz Intermediate, stated that the biggest difference between Mission and La Paz is the “insane amount of people here.”
Pogue is most excited for Winter Formal, since it’s the second dance and “because the girls ask the guys.” This year, he is participating in freshman football and baseball in the spring.
When asked if he had experienced any embarrassing moments this year, Pogue laughed and recounted two stories, both involving our very own Mr. Zides. First, at freshman orientation, Pogue claims he was “forced to play a balloon popping game by Mr. Zides.” At the discipline assembly, Pogue remembered he was the only one in the entire room with no ID card, and Mr. Zides called him out (in a joking manner.)
Full of aspirations, Pogue claims his goals are to “start on the baseball team” and “achieve straight A’s” for all four years at Mission. It is evident that with his work ethic in both sports and academics, he’s going to be just fine.
Another current freshman at Mission, Allison Taylor Bushon is incredibly excited to “make forever friends” and prepare for her career.
For middle school, Bushon studied independently, a feat few can attempt and fewer can succeed at. Surprisingly, when asked about the biggest difference between her middle school and high school, she didn’t even mention the amount of people. Instead, she brought up the fact that she used to work a full-time job, six days a week, that she had to quit to attend public school.
A well-rounded student, Bushon is participating in agricultural science (hoping to pursue Future Farmers of America later on), art, and hopefully the lacrosse team in spring. Her main goal for school is also to maintain straight A’s all four years.
It is clear due to her previous full-time job and self-motivated classwork that Bushon just might be capable of anything she puts her mind to.
In contrast to these newbies on campus, Keilee Alexandra Mori has been attending MVHS all four years of her high school experience.
Mori claims the moment she is looking forward to this upcoming year is “being done.” She hopes to attend her dream school, University of California San Diego to study ophthalmology.
Keilee reflects on her biggest accomplishments: “Definitely the classes I’ve taken,” soon adding that she was named MVP of varsity girls lacrosse last year. One of her coaches, Joe Testa, was a true role model to her. Mori states, “I’ve never heard him say anything negative.”
Another person that has influenced Mori is Mr. Holley, her all-time favorite teacher. “I absolutely loved that class,” she states.
Mori remembers her most embarrassing moment as a high schooler- slipping and falling near the flagpole. “The metal grates were really slippery and it was pouring,” she claims.
The senior claims, “The thing that got me through high school was naps.” Advice she has for new freshmen include “Be yourself, stop trying to impress everybody,” and “Challenge yourself.” Evidently, Mori will go on to accomplish great things in her future and beyond.
No matter what grade you’re in, Mission provides an environment where all students can become the best version of themselves. By taking a quick look into the lives of just three people, one can see how our students strive for their biggest passions.
While each generational amount of immersion in Google Classroom varies, the platform is spreading more rapidly than ever before and continues its strive to be teachers best tool. The qualities of this new platform have begun to push older options, such as Blackboard, Canvas, and Schoology, out of the top spots. As the 1990’s through early 2000’s babies continue to graduate, evidence of past endeavors fade and the “classrooms of the future” take the spotlight.
Proposed as a tool built to mainly benefit teachers, Google Classroom was released to the public on August 12, 2014. Those who used the site in its beginning stages were extremely important to its continued success and improvement over the next coming years. As technology evolves, google must continuously update and change its educationally based websites to be able to stay up with new advancements.
Over the years, as Google has received more and more teacher and student based opinions on improvements, other related platforms have been revamped to be at the same standard as Google Classroom. Combined, the online tools now available offer a plethora of answers to questions now no longer needing to be asked. The advantages are numerous, but a select few stand above the rest in terms of importance.
An advantage for teachers is the simplification of the assignment collecting process. Eliminating the time taken from class periods by collecting and keeping track of papers allows teachers to be more productive in class. Additionally, the features on Google Classroom show a teacher if and at what time assignments were turned in, preventing students from being untruthful.
Ms. Petrulio, who has been teaching for six and a half years and is currently an English teacher at MVHS, can attest to Google Classrooms beneficial aspects. When asked if she ever felt a shift in the usefulness and popularity of the platform, she responded by saying “Prior to Google classroom I used another platform, which was more of a class website and less of an interactive tool”
Following the previous topic, Ms. Petrulio touched on the ways in which it worked substantially well for teachers and students with assignments. She concluded with “I do believe Google classroom is beneficial to both students and parents. It works both as a location for assignments to be completed as well as for announcements and class resources.”
Along with Google Classroom, there have been advancements in the innovation of physical classrooms with the types of desks and the use of television screens. The addition of wheels and whiteboard tops to the new desks as well as flat screens in lue of projectors have been an adjustment for teachers and students alike, but have created great opportunities.
A first hand opinion of the new classroom advancements comes from Mr. Tickler, a history teacher at Mission, who has only had the room as of this year. For students, Mr. Tickler finds the desks great for “collaboration, small groups and partners”. He also mentioned that it “took time to adjust to the technology”, while finding the “network and internet beneficial”
As time goes on, technology will continue to advance in capability and availability and it is up to teachers and students to keep up with it. Websites like Google classroom and the innovative classroom setups are meant to help, if given the right chance.
Why summer homework isn’t just to make your life miserable.
Have you ever thought that the summer homework your boring teacher assigned was just to make you upset about the fact that you have homework? Well, contrary to popular belief summer homework has many reasons behind it.
If there was no summer homework students’ brains wouldn’t be prepared to start the school year. Summer homework is just a prep for what is going to happen at the beginning of the year. Most students think that homework is a bore, time-consuming and or just busywork. Summer homework actually has reasons behind it. There are many reasons but there is one that really stands out.
About 36% of the knowledge of what was obtained in the past year was lost over the summer, according to the article Summer Learning Loss Facts and Slide Statistics. This goes to show that summer homework does have more benefits than just busywork to make you miserable.
Summer homework is very beneficial. Homework is assigned within a span of the whole summer, so the only complaining should be from the kids who waited till the last minute. The little homework assigned is also there to help with preparing for the school year. It is also good for students who need more time to do the work and to get a better understanding of what was given.
All students should be doing homework but don’t want to because they connect homework with school and school is usually connected to the emotions of anger or sadness. The mind knows that school means doing things that you don’t want to do. For example, getting up in the morning and staying up to do homework or study.
Summer homework is good for teachers as well. It gets the class going faster because the materials are connected with what the class would be doing at the beginning of the school year. This brings up another point, that homework is a head start and a review. Teachers assign summer homework so that they don’t have to reteach materials from the year prior.
It helps students maintain their memories of what they have already learned. Over the period of summer vacation, important information can be forgotten, summer homework will help with keeping those important things relevant in your brain. It also keeps all of the skills learned up to the standard that is expected from the students coming back to school.
The homework presents an important quality which is to show the teacher what kind of students they have. For example, if a student doesn’t do the assignment, their first impression is bad and the other way around with the students who did the homework. Summer homework also shows how educated the person is and how smart the student is coming into school.
Students in the community should feel lucky that they even go to school and get an education. Getting an education is very important and no matter how much summer homework your teacher will assign, you still have to do it. Students shouldn’t be wasting their time nagging about homework, instead, they should be doing it.
Four of Mission’s drama students present an energetic presentation of Shakespeare’s finest.
Donning Elizabethan era costumes and multi-co
lored Converse high tops, four of Mission Viejo High School’s dedicated drama students presented “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)” at the opening of the school year. The cast — a quartet of quick-witted senior actors — focused in on the comical stylings of Logan Booth, Toby Dervartanian, Liam Shannon, and Danny Sheikh.
The production was directed by Mission alumnus of 2019, Charlie Massey, who participated in the school’s drama program while he attended, as well as the annual spring musicals. Running from September 5 to 7, “Shakespeare (abridged)” consisted of 36 works of Shakespeare, all performed within the time constraints of just two hours.
Each piece was performed in an unparagoned and entertaining manner, whether it was categorized as a comedy, a tragedy, or a history. Creativity led the cast to perform some pieces as a capella songs, cooking shows, and even as a reenactment of a football game.
Chris Pang, a junior at Mission, describes the show as “a masterfully choreographed rendition of a compilation of literary classics, containing a perfect balance of individual comedy and audience participation.”
A high level of audience interaction was involved in the play, as the actors prompted those in the audience to chant along with them, or were “vomited on” in the front rows, in the midst of Danny Sheikh’s joking and theatrical death scenes.
“I was so surprised and laughing hysterically from the first minute,” says junior, Elia Turner. “Obviously Shakespeare is going to be a little off the rails since it’s old and there aren’t any limitations, but I was not expecting all of that to apply to a high school play.”
Despite it’s hilarity and vulgarity, the production also encompassed the extreme influence that William Shakespeare holds, as well as the simple truths that his writing reveals in human life. Undeterred by his role as a teenager, uneducated of the poet’s works, Logan Booth executed a strong and emotional recital of a Shakespearean monologue which was greeted heavily by the audience’s applause.
The final act of the play was a portrayal of Hamlet, played multiple times in order to discover how quickly the actors could complete it and to beat their previous time. In addition, their arrangement of Hamlet was also acted out in reverse order, with Liam Shannon acting as the ghost of Hamlet’s and uttering an iconically unenthusiastic “reverse boo” (oob!).
Toby Dervartanian, one of the lead actors in “Shakespeare (abridged),” expresses the process behind the production: “Because it is only a cast of four, there was a lot to memorize. It was exhausting to perform and took a long time to get the blocking down. Once it was done, however, it was one of my favorite performances.”
The entire production was one of great measures, fitting 36 complete works of Shakespeare into two hours of humor and skillful storytelling. Thus, Mission’s tradition of the theatrical arts continues, just as you like it.
Alternate ideas to pack in your lunch instead of spending money on food.
From lunchables to sandwiches made by your parents with the crust cut off, there are plenty of options for bringing a packed lunch to school.
Many upperclassmen and their parents aren’t fans of paying for lunch everyday. Yes, going off campus with your friends to get Taco Bell is fun, but the cost of buying food everyday builds up.
There are many healthier options than fast food. For example, you can pack fruits like apples or grapes. You can also eat vegetables like baby carrots and snap peas.
For those who like their lunches fresh and cold, there’s a brand called Packit. They create a product which is a freezable bag that will keep you food cold for up to eight hours.
Leftovers are another good option to bring to school.You can put them in thermoses which will keep the food warm all day.
On Youtube, you can look up videos on what to pack in your lunch. For instance, there are plenty of different ways to make a sandwich. There are different meats you can use, and different types of bread. A sandwich can be as basic or fun as you want.
Pinterest is a great platform for finding interesting and unique ideas that are refreshing and fun. On a daily basis, there are new posts with creative ideas. People are constantly on the lookout for fresh and new ideas.
Another idea is to buy premade meals from the store, such as salads. Trader Joes has fun options like their Thai Style Citrus Chicken Salad or their Southwest Salad. In addition, places like Pavilions or Ralphs also sell caesar salad and a variety of others.
Some good snack combos include granny smith apples with caramel dip, Trail Mix, carrot sticks and hummus, and granola with yogurt. In addition, popcorn mixed with dried fruit is a great option for a midday or afternoon snack.
I asked MVHS sophomore, Amy Iwanaga, what her favorite snack to eat at lunch is and she responded, “Cheez Its, granola bars, and fruit.” She also stated, “I know people that also pack full on meals like pizza and pasta in tupperware.”
Lets say your a freshman or sophomore who is really craving Raising Canes. For those of you with nice parents, they can drop off your meal in the office for you to pick up during lunch. Although this may be difficult considering many people’s parents work, you can also ask an upperclassman to bring back food for you.
Personally, I usually bring a turkey sandwich, energy bar, and an apple. Having a different variety every so often makes it less boring to eat the same thing everyday.
Mission having a designated lunch area has been a conversation for quite some time. Some people would prefer more tables to sit at rather than the ground or standing. Many believe that this way, less people would go off and spend money on buying food.
Overall, packing a lunch is a great way to save money and there are many different options to bring from home.
[Emmett Till on the left, Martin Luther King Jr. on the right]
Ingrained in the history of the United States of America is racism.
Black History Month, started by Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, was made to bring more awareness to the importance of teaching black history in the school systems.
It originally started out as “Negro History Week” in 1926 when Woodson and his association chose the week of February 12 and February 14 to commemorate black Americans and promote the teachings of black history in order to fight racism.
They chose these dates as they corresponded with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas, both of whom had an important role in shaping the history of black Americans
While Negro History Week did not receive the warmest welcome from the nation’s educational systems, it gained the support of few which was one giant step to becoming Black History Month later in 1970.
Black History Month has always received criticism for only promoting the history of one race. Some people believe it should be abolished for this; whereas, others believe that important black history would not even be recognized in school curriculums without it.
However, Black History Month still remains amongst the criticism and so does its purpose: to teach history that is rarely taught.
The first untold story is one that is rarely mentioned in school despite holding such great significance in black history: the story of Emmett Till, 14 years old and savagely murdered in 1955.
While visiting family in Mississippi, Emmett was fooling around with some friends. Standing outside a small store, his friends dared him to ask the white woman at the counter, Carolyn Bryant, on a date. On his way out of the story after buying some candy, he whistled and said “Bye baby.”
When Carolyn’s husband Roy came home, she constructed a fake story of Emmett sexually harassing her, physically and verbally. Roy later went with Carolyn’s Brother Milam to the house of Emmett’s great uncle, Mose Bradley, and forced Emmett into the car.
They drove to Tallahatchie River, forcing Emmett to carry a 75 pound cotton-gin fan and take off his clothes when they arrived. They beat him, gouged out his eye, shot him, then threw him into the river with the fan tied to his back.
His body was found three days later, having been so disfigured that his great uncle could only identify him by a ring he was wearing.
Emmett’s mother held an open-casket funeral and allowed Jet Magazine to publish the photo so the whole world could face the cold truth of racism in America.
A couple weeks later Milam and Bryant went on trial with Emmett’s murder. The jury declared “not guilty” after less than an hour, believing the state did not accurately identify the body.
The publicity of Emmett Till’s murder and trial was the final straw for the emerging civil rights movement in America; justice had not been served and nobody knew how many more and how many other black Americans were and would be murdered as Emmett had been. .
Only recently in 2017 did Carolyn Bryant, while on her deathbed, speak out the truth of her lying about Emmett Till’s supposed alleged sexual harassment in her testimony.
Despite being a major driving force for an important part of American history, Emmett Till is unfortunately rarely discussed if even mentioned at all. And Emmett Till was most certainly not the first.
Described as savage murder by a ferocious mob for an alleged offense that may or may not be true, the lynchings of black people were very popular in the South from the late 19th century to the early 20th century.
Mary Turner was lynched in May 1918. Her husband Hayes had allegedly murdered Hampton Smith, a plantation owner with an aggressive personality. She adamantly denied these claims and was lynched, brutally murdered despite being 8 months pregnant at 20 years old, along with her husband who was just 19.
The mob hung her upside down from a tree, poured gasoline on her, set her on fire, riddled her body with bullets, and cut open her stomach to see if her baby was mixed.
Mary and Hayes Turner were only two out of an estimated 3,446 lynchings from 1882 to 1968.
An extremely popular jazz artist by the name of Billie Holiday, inspired to bring awareness, released a song about the lynchings called “Strange Fruit” in 1939. The song received mixed reactions, some aggressive from Southerners not wanting to abolish the practice. Her record label was reluctant to let the song play.
The opening begins with “Southern trees bearing strange fruit, Blood on leaves and blood at the root, Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze, Strange fruit swinging from the poplar trees.”
She continued to sing the song despite facing trouble from Harry Anslinger, the commissioner for the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, who believed that black Americans, especially jazz musicians, were forgetting their place due to narcotics and demanded that Holiday stopped singing the song.
She refused.
Upon her refusal, he framed her for purchasing and using heroin which led to 18 months in jail in 1948 and an inability to sing in Holiday’s favorite nightclubs.
Devastated, she began to use heroin and had to be checked into a New York hospital in 1959.
Her condition was fatal and Holiday feared that Anslinger would kill her. Anslinger’s agents and the police handcuffed her to the hospital bed, took mugshots, and refused the treatment that was helping her to recover a little while previously. .
She died soon after. Police arrived at the funeral, only afraid her death would result in a riot.
She never stopped singing her song.
These are only a few of hundreds of stories that Black History Month recognizes.
Nat King Cole, Paul Robeson, Jesse Owens, Sojourner Truth, Phillis Wheatley, Muhammad Ali, Ron Stallworth, and so many more have their own stories of combating racism.
So many aspects of black history have remained untouched as racism becomes a sensitive topic in America.
However, Black History Month is the time where America needs to talk about racism and come together as a whole unit of different races to fight, not only racism, but every other problem America faces as well.
