Vigils for Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado

If you have not heard of the brutal decapitation of a young gay Puerto Rican male named Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado that occurred this week in Puerto Rico please head over to Vivir Latino for coverage.

VL has also provided and updated list of cities that are organizing vigils for Jorge Steven. If you know of or are organizing a vigil please leave your information in the comments section at VivirLatino.

Peace

Do You Know Your Rights?

As I begin my section on the social construction of crime, I show a video so that my students are clear about what their rights are. Far too often people living in the US are unaware of their rights and easily waive them when interacting with law enforcement. Below is the video I show them. It's called BUSTED! A Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters and was created by the Flex Your Rights organization. You can purchase the film for a donation of $20, which is a great price for a film of this length! And yes, if you were wondering I have posted this video before!

100 Greatest Quotes from The Wire

For folks who are going through withdrawal from The Wire too:

My Musings

Alright I know I haven't been writing too much lately, but I have still be writing in other places about all the things I love about being LatiNegra and about sexuality. Check these out:

My latest article on my Media Justice column is up and it's a Media Justice Mash-Up!

My review of the cd Palo! This Is Afro-Cuban Funk is finally posted!

Check out the film Buena Gente if you are in NYC! It's about Dominican youth, STI transmission, and relationships. Below is the trailer!

Sunday Night Common Sense

Read a book.

That is all.

A Disconnect?

I've been updating LatinoSexuality.com and reviewing a film so I've been a bit quiet. I've come across a story about "dirty lyrics" among songs produced and distributed in Jamaica that reminds me of some work I've done in the past.

The Broadcasting Commission in Jamaica has reported that complaints about "dirty lyrics" from listeners has decreased. However, parents, school officials, and teachers have connected "lewd" and sexually explicit songs being distraction to youth and students.

This reminds me of the work I did with young people living in the Lower East Side of NYC regarding gang involvement and affiliation. As a part of a team, my co-worker/researcher spoke with law enforcement who claimed that there was no problem regarding gang activity in the community. When we spoke to youth and parents, they claimed that gang involvement, recruitment, and activity was a HUGE problem affecting them.

What does this disconnect, this miscommunication, this lack of listening to the community and not trusting the NYPD do? It's complicated is what we realized. But there is something to be said when NYPD believes there is no problem, yet adults of the community fear for the young people.

Sunday Night Common Sense

Today's SNCS comes from my time watching films this week. Watching Akeelah and The Bee and being reminded of this Marianne Williamson quote is what I'd like to share with you all today:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?

From A Return To Love