Students See Many Slights as Racial ‘Microaggressions’; New York Times, 3/21/14

Tanzina Vega, New York Times; Students See Many Slights as Racial ‘Microaggressions’ :

"What is less clear is how much is truly aggressive and how much is pretty micro — whether the issues raised are a useful way of bringing to light often elusive slights in a world where overt prejudice is seldom tolerated, or a new form of divisive hypersensitivity, in which casual remarks are blown out of proportion.

The word itself is not new — it was first used by Dr. Chester M. Pierce, a professor of education and psychiatry at Harvard University, in the 1970s. Until recently it was considered academic talk for race theorists and sociologists.

The recent surge in popularity for the term can be attributed, in part, to an academic article Derald W. Sue, a psychology professor at Columbia University, published in 2007 in which he broke down microaggressions into microassaults, microinsults and microinvalidations. Dr. Sue, who has literally written the book on the subject, called “Microaggressions in Everyday Life: Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation,” attributed the increased use of the term to the rapidly changing demographics in which minorities are expected to outnumber whites in the United States by 2042. “As more and more of us are around, we talk to each other and we know we’re not crazy,” Dr. Sue said. Once, he said, minorities kept silent about perceived slights. “I feel like people of color are less inclined to do that now,” he said."

Post-Oscars Diversity Downer; New York Times, 3/3/14

Juliet Lapidos, New York Times; Post-Oscars Diversity Downer:

"Sunday night’s Academy Awards were a model of diversity. They were hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, a lesbian; Lupita Nyong’o, who is black, won the best supporting actress category; and “12 Years a Slave” won for best picture, marking the first time the top prize went to the work of a black director, Steve McQueen. Mr. McQueen did not win the best director prize, which was awarded instead to the Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón.

That the Oscars aren’t a whites-only boys club is obviously worth celebrating, but we shouldn’t pretend that Hollywood’s award ceremony is an accurate reflection of Hollywood. It’s not. A recent report from the Women’s Media Center found that race and gender disparities still mar the film industry...

Hollywood’s great at congratulating itself for diversity; it’s just not great at actual diversity.

Axel-In-Charge: The New "Fantastic Four" and the Diversity Challenge; ComicBookResources.com, 2/28/14

ComicBookResources.com; Axel-In-Charge: The New "Fantastic Four" and the Diversity Challenge:

""Albert Ching: Axel, first thing I wanted to get your opinion on, even though I know it's outside of Marvel's purview -- what's your take on the much-discussed news that Michael B. Jordan has been cast as the Human Torch in Fox's "Fantastic Four" reboot?

Axel Alonso: Speaking as someone who wasn't consulted, I think it's great. It gives the story an additional layer, another nuance, and puts forth another definition of "family." People of all shapes, sizes and colors go to the multiplex, and it's important that they see themselves projected on the big screen. That's why I'm a huge Danny Trejo fan! [Laughs] The Marvel Universe is everybody's story.

Oh -- and Michael B. Jordan rocks. Loved him since "The Wire." Great actor. He's definitely my second favorite Michael Jordan!"

Ian McKellen Took 'X-Men' Role Because Of Gay Rights Parallel; HuffingtonPost.com, 2/27/14

Cavan Sieczkowski, HuffingtonPost.com; Ian McKellen Took 'X-Men' Role Because Of Gay Rights Parallel:

""X-Men" is not just about mutants with super powers, according to actor Ian McKellen. The superhero series also has a gay rights message.

During a Buzzfeed Brews interview, McKellen revealed he signed on to the "X-Men" movies, which first hit theaters back in 2000, after director Bryan Singer explained the deeper significance of the film.

“I was sold it by Bryan who said, ‘Mutants are like gays. They’re cast out by society for no good reason,’” he said. “And, as in all civil rights movements, they have to decide: Are they going to take the Xavier line — which is to somehow assimilate and stand up for yourself and be proud of what you are, but get on with everybody — or are you going to take the alternative view — which is, if necessary, use violence to stand up for your own rights. And that’s true. I’ve come across that division within the gay rights movement.”

Marvel told him a large demographic of "X-Men" comic book readers consists of young Jewish people, young black people and young gay people who may "feel a little bit like mutants.""