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David Leonard
The B-Word: A Breakdown of a Word That Breaks Down
David Leonard discuses the potency of the word b*tch and gives insight into its sexist implications, arguing it is harmful to humans irrespective of how the word is used and to whom it is used. Read moreRemembering Sophie: The Day Our Newborn Died
UC columnist David Leonard pens a very touching reflection on his newborn daughter's passing and how it forever changed him, teaching him about fear, love, family, and the importance of moving forward with her to help others. Read morePosted in: Health, Life.Style, Pop CultureComments: One commentTags: Byron Hurt, David Leonard, Film, Health, Soul food junkies
'Soul Food Junkies' Offers a Window Into Black America's Food Culture
David J. Leonard gives insight into Byron Hurt's "Soul Food Junkies," film in which Hurt sets out to learn more about the rich culinary tradition of soul food and its relevance to black cultural identity. Read morePosted in: Education, Opinions, Race and IdentityComments: No commentsTags: David Leonard, Race & Idenity, Sports
The Olympics and the Role of Race in Athletic Choices
David Leonard explores how race and racism, especially in school systems, affects sports choices. Read morePosted in: Class & Economy, Opinions, Race and IdentityComments: 4 commentsTags: Criminal Justice, David Leonard, Race & Identity
White Privilege, Wealth and the U.S. Criminal Justice System
David Leonard explores how white privilege and affluence factor into the criminal justice process by sharing his father's experience in the system. Read morePosted in: Health, Opinions, Race and IdentityComments: 2 commentsTags: David Leonard, Health, Race & Identity
The Criminalization of Mental Illness in Black America
David Leonard explores the intersections of race, mental health, and the criminalization of black bodies, particularly in the sports world. Read moreMetta World Peace and the Stigma of Criminalized Bodies Pt. 2
Metta World Peace is defined now (and as he has been since 2004) by his actions and the meaning of those actions within our racialized society. Having paid his debt to the NBA, and society, he continues to be dogged by the past, an unfair constraint of America’s criminalizing culture. Read morePosted in: Opinions, Pop Culture, Race and IdentityComments: No commentsTags: David Leonard, Race & Identity, Sports
Metta World Peace and the Language of Incarceration in Sports Coverage Pt. 1
The language of the criminal justice system within a sporting context is telling and is part of the process of imagining Metta World Peace as criminal rather than a particular type of basketball player. It is part of a larger pattern within sports media coverage. Read morePosted in: Opinions, Race and Identity, Youth & College EditionComments: No commentsTags: David Leonard, Race & Identity, Sports
Drug Culture on College Campuses and the Criminalization of Student Athletes
In narrating the problem of drugs on college campuses through athletics, an identity difficult to disentangle from blackness within the white imagination, the media sensationalism perpetuates a racially-defined war on drugs. Read morePosted in: Opinions, Pop Culture, Race and IdentityComments: One commentTags: David Leonard, Media, Race & Identity, Sports
Andrew Luck and Racial Assumptions: Are Stereotypes a Part of the Game?
Amid the endless articles about Jeremy Lin, many reflected on the ways in which race and stereotypes about Asians limited the ability of scouts to recognize his talent. Similar racial assumptions have followed the NFL Combine, particularly with Andrew Luck of Stanford. Read morePosted in: Opinions, Politics & Policies, Race and IdentityComments: No commentsTags: David Leonard, Election 2012, Politics & Policies
Decoding the Racial Rhetoric of GOP Candidates
Although often transparent and clear as night and day, much of the arguments and frames are articulated through racial codes. Affording GOP candidates a certain level of deniability, it is therefore crucial to understand the power and prevalence of racial rhetorics. Read morePosted in: Global Matters, Life, Opinions, Race and IdentityComments: One commentTags: David Leonard, Pop Culture, Race & Identity
Tongue-Tied: Jeremy Lin and Media Dialogue on Race Matters
David J. Leonard argues that American society often lacks a level of media literacy, seemingly accepting the narrative disseminated by the national media, and not thinking critically about how Jeremy Lin is being positioned within most media circles. Read morePosted in: Education, Life, Opinions, Race and IdentityComments: 15 commentsTags: David Leonard, Race & Identity
An Open Letter to 'Dear White America': On Ignorance and White Privilege
After watching yet another disheartening video of racist mockery and disrespect, UC columnist David J. Leonard decided he had to make it plain, writing this commentary on blackface, racist jokes, ignorance and overall White privilege. Read moreThe Economics of the Super Bowl: On 'The Woodstock for the 1%'
The Super Bowl is more than a football game. It is a celebration of military prowess, excess, and a culture of wealth. Yet, the economic question transcends the issues of the “local economy” as the Super Bowl is yet another party for the rich, by the rich, and of the rich. Read morePosted in: Life, Opinions, Pop CultureComments: One commentTags: David Leonard, Films, Race & Identity
Refusing Invisibility: 'Pariah' Challenges Social and Religious Norms
Giving voice to the hegemonically erased experiences of the black middle-class, black female youth, and black lesbians, Pariah challenges religious conservatism and refuses the trap of the politics of invisibility. Read morePosted in: Opinions, Pop Culture, Race and IdentityComments: No commentsTags: Artivism, David Leonard, Films
Cinematic Politics and Passion: 'The Black Power Mixtape' As Timeless
One of the most prominent examples from 2011 of the capacity that indie documentaries have to fill the gaps left by Hollywood was The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, which showed us the power that film has to resurrect the images and voices of a movement. Read morePosted in: Class & Economy, Education, OpinionsComments: One commentTags: David Leonard, Education, Sports
Why the NCAA Should Pay Student-Athletes and Pay Them Fairly (Part 2 of 2)
Read part 2 of a 2 part series in which David Leonard argues that student-athletes should be compensated for their labor, talents, and sacrifices to a lucrative collegiate sports industry. Read morePosted in: Class & Economy, Education, OpinionsComments: One commentTags: David Leonard, Education, Sports
