Caste System in India

“ The caste system in India is an informal social strata based on a creation story from the Hindu Rigveda. In the story, the world is created from the sacrifice of a common man, whose body was split to form four varnas, or societal subgroups - Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra. Later, the varnas grew to include a fifth group, the Ati-Shudra, also known as 'untouchables' or 'Dalits'. Over time, thousands of jati - or individual castes - formed within these larger varnas.”

 The caste system in India has been going on for over two thousand years. Although it was banned by the constitution sixty years ago, it is still going on.  The untouchables are at the bottom of the caste system. The caste system is so deeply ingrained in Indian society that the “untouchables” feel that they deserve to work menial jobs with no place for advancement. Young children do not associate themselves with the “untouchables” because they fear being polluted or cursed. 

Anupama Rao, an associate professor at Barnard College and author of "The Caste Question" has stated that the caste system is more like a legal status. One’s occupation, social hierarchy and job title can be determined by his or her caste. Interestingly enough, something as intricate as marriage and sexual relations is determined by one’s caste.  Matrimony websites display caste divisions in relationship searches- that is how deep it is. 

The Indian government has made advancements to uplift the Daltis through affirmative action and reservations. Most activists are in favor of affirmative action but feel that reservations will make the people too lazy as they will grow dependent on the government. To be honest, I think the caste system should be abolished as a whole, but that will be a far reach, seeing as this mentality is already deeply ingrained in the society. It is up to the current generation to use education and entrepreneurship to curb and eliminate the caste system. 

- Jasmine Mbadugha

For more in depth information on the caste system you can read the news article below and also watch the videos: http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/untouchable-no-more-0022348, http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2773155?uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21101302482771  

Recent news:
http://truth-out.org/progressivepicks/item/10507-americas-current-racial-caste-system-we-need-to-ensure-that-it-is-our-last ,
 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bernard-starr/romney-santorum-poverty_b_1318001.html ,
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/opinion/sunday/a-native-caste-society.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

  

Fool's Gold x Lana Del Rey

This past weekend I was lucky enough to run along side Philly’s come up rapper Grande Marshall.  Grande has just recently signed with Fool’s Gold inc, who threw a party for their new artists signed as well as for their five year anniversary.  So off I was to Williamsburg, Brooklyn to party the night away with performances by Troy Ave, Flosstradamus, Flatbush Zombies, A Trak, Donnis, Nick Catchdubs World’s Fair and Ghostface Killah.  The best part? VIP access! The Music Hall of Williamsburg was full of fans who were lucky enough to actually get in to this free concert, the line was so crazy outside the police had to come clear the block twice, so you can imagine how excited everyone was just to be there listening to live great music.  With free give-aways, water spraying on the audience and the artist crowd surfing while performing, the excitement in the building was crazy!  For those of you who don’t know what Fool’s Gold is, it is a Brooklyn based record label founded in 2007.  Fool’s Gold brings together the worlds of hip-hop and electronic music and is growing quickly!

If your looking for more free concerts like this, check out myfreeconcert.com. 

I’m always on the look-out for different kinds of music from artists that push the limits and that without a doubt is Lana Del Rey.  Lana’s a singer songwriter from New York, with a indie-pop, alternative and sadcore style, though you may have most recently seen her singing in H&M’s newest commercials.  Her second studio album Born to Die featured great songs like “Blue Jeans” , where she talks about her love for a man whose chasing his dreams while her dream is him, and “National Anthem” where she created a 60’s style video featuring A$AP Rocky as the President.  Her style is, what I would call, a creepy mix of dark twisted music but songs you won’t want to stop listening to.  She’s dropping a edition of Born to Die titled Born to Die The Paradise Edition on November 13^thfeaturing her new track Ride.  The video is a 10 minute mini movie of a girl who finds love in all the strangers she meets. You should have an open mind while watching it; below is the video!

Queen Bey will be performing for the Superbowl in February! I’ve had the privilege of seeing Beyonce perform before and it was no short of amazing.  It is finally time for a timeless artist of our generation to perform at the halftime event and I can’t wait!

What’s on my replay
Ride - Lana Del Rey
Enemy – The Weeknd
Guap – Big Sean

- Alyssa Jones

90's Are Making A Comeback

Evolution and repetition are the two core reasons why fashion even exists. All throughout history, we can trace back trends to previous time periods, and the emulation still occurs today. Every time I enter a store with my mother or older relative I am hit with the "Girl, we used to wear this stuff back in the day! Mhm, a blast from the past". Even though we don't want to admit that we probably mimick our parents in pictures we take now from their own back then, the truth is inevitable. In my opinion, nostalgia is in the air- the 90's have certainly returned and graced our culture. Currently, sports wear, snapbacks, and eccentric hairstyles are returning to the subculture fashion scene. 90's-influenced jewelry graces our necks and ears, and Dr. Martens are returning to the U.S. from teenage infatuation. Leather and varsity jackets, snakeskin, bold letters on hats and skull caps, and all black ensembles are continually making their way onto the fashion-forward pedestal. Thanks to artists like A$ap Rocky, Joey Bada$$, and Azealia Banks, the influence from NY is spreading all over the U.S. Some may even say this influence is spreading all over the world because of social-networking sites. So, ladies and gents, return to mom and pop's house and dig out those old, certainly not outdated, vintage tee shirts and jackets. It's going to be a nostalgic and eclectic winter.

- Olivia Khoury

Village Halloween Parade

After 400 years of folktales, village legends of witchcraft and superstition, and the obsessive hype that led to scary movie productions and costume stores, Halloween is still here to stay. Every year people look forward to entertaining the Autumn season with the celebration of Halloween, and every year they expect a fun and festive night. Is candy corn and a scary movie a little too cliché for you? If so, NYC is hosting some of the most extravagant events all throughout this week to celebrate Halloween. The annual Village Halloween Parade is a nice kick-off to the celebrations. Museum and haunted house tours, cemetery tours and ghost tours all procede to allow a chance for everyone in New York to get a spook.
Stay safe- the freaks come out at night!

http://joonbug.com/newyork/halloween

http://gonyc.about.com/od/halloween/tp/halloween_events_all.htm 

- Olivia Khoury 

R&B x Frank Ocean x Kendrick Lamar

Remember the 90’s?  Sweet R&B, raw Hip Hop.  Okay, so some of us were still in diapers for the start of it, but regardless we remember the jams. This past Monday evening I re-visited the best of the 90’s when I accompanied my sister to a Brandy concert. At first I was like, what could Brandy perform? She was one of my favorites from the 90’s for more reasons than just playing Moesha.  She got me really excited, especially when she performed the mutual favorites like “Top of the World” and “Sittin’ Up In My Room”.  It felt like the whole crowd was vibin’ with her. She then took a break and had Luke James take the stage who performed his single “I Want You”.  It was really beautiful; his voice commanded the whole theatre and I made a mental note to put that song on my IPod when I got home.  Brandy came back out with “Have U Ever” and my favorite “Almost Doesn’t Count”, singing them just as beautifully as the first time you fell in love with them.  I love the 90’s because the songs from that time period hold a kind of memory; one that every time you hear a song it still makes you feel the same as the first time you heard it.  She ended with her single “Put it Down”, I must admit I’m not a fan of this one but the crowd was hyped.  Check out her new CD, Two Eleven.  

Frank Ocean has written us another letter.  It seems Frank likes to rely on his blog to vent, and this time he talked about his next career moves, working with Jay-Z and Pharrell and falling for someone new.  I love the post by Frank; it’s like a peak into the diary of his beautifully deep mind.  You can read the post at frankocean.com.  This week Rick Ross released The Black Bar Mitzvah, a mixtape with a couple of familiar tracks, and features with Gunplay, and 2 Chainz. The mixtape could have offered more for me.  It seems like the same Ross songs and I’d hate to see him continue to make repetitive songs after his recent album God Forgives, I Don’t.  Other recent mixtapes that came out are Gucci Manes Trap God, Iggy Azelia’s Trap Gold and Wiz Khalifa’s Cabin Fever 2.  

Rihanna and Nicki Minaj are set to release their albums on the same day this November.  Rihanna will be dropping her seventh studio album, Unapologetic, while Nicki will put out Roman Reloaded The Re-Up on November 19^th ! Guess we should prepare for whose sales will be higher on the charts.


Photos courtesy of http://www.wgci.com/pages/jamalsmallz.html?article=10493198

Kendrick Lamar’s album leaking is an irresistible sneak peek into his great new work good kid m.A.A.d city.  Even though I will be buying the CD I gave into temptation and listened to it; the tracks I heard went hard. Kendrick is taking over.  His CD officially drops today, while Meek Mill’s Nightmares and Dreams comes out on October 30^th.

Currently Replaying
Poetic Justice – Kendrick Lamar ft Drake
Money Trees – Kendrick Lamar Jay Rock
Nothin’ Like the Rest – Wiz Khalifa ft French Montana
Amsterdam Freesytle – Curren$y ft. Corner Boy P
Maybach Curtains – Meek Mill ft Nas, John Legend & Rick Ross

- Alyssa Jones

Alumni Dinner Recap

We hope you all had a wonderful weekend! On behalf of our executive board and committee chairs, we would like to thank all those who attended our Annual Alumni Dinner on October 14, 2012. We hope you enjoyed the evening, the food, and the alumni! It is always wonderful to be in the presence of those who laid the foundation for us. We would not be where we are today if it were not for their actions to ensure that members of the Pan-African community have a solid voice on St. John's University's campus. Last night was also a great networking opportunity, as many undergrads were able to speak with Alumni and gain some insight into their prospective careers.

Palestine's Oppression

t’s so hard to believe that Palestine used to be an independent state before, now all they have is the West Bank and Gaza strip.  The oppression of the Palestinian people began with the migration of the Zionists. Zionists were overzealous Jewish people seeking a land to settle down in. They found one: Palestine.  With the help of the British and the U.N the Jewish people were able to take over Palestine. They called it Israel and left the Palestine’s with only the West Bank and the Gaza strip- which is getting smaller and smaller every day. 
It does not take a genius to figure out that the Palestinians are being oppressed. This conflict goes back to the issue of colonialism and “white” supremacy; in this case the Jewish people are acting as the Colonists. The history of Palestine and Israeli says it all- Israel is in the wrong. Over seven hundred and fifty thousand innocent Palestinian men, women, and children have been killed and yet Israel is still being supported.

  

I am very pro U.N. involvement but I am beginning to question their motives because I feel at this point they aren’t doing much to help the Palestinians recover their land and their human rights. It has been sixty years since Israel’s founding but there are still many Palestinian refugees who have not found a permanent home. The Gaza strip now holds many Palestinian homeless people and is also underfunded by the Israeli government. People die there every day and it seems as if no one notices.  Even at that, it’s crazy how Palestinians are discriminated against and dehumanized in their land. They are subject to discrimination in almost every aspect of life: from education to housing to healthcare. 

I know it might seem like the Israeli-Palestine conflict does not really affect the average American, after all, it is all the way in the Middle East right? Well, wrong. Israeli is reaping the benefits of YOUR tax dollars.  Studies have shown that Israeli-not even up to the size of New York- have received most of your foreign taxes. In other words you are giving Israeli more money to mistreat and oppress more Palestinian people. We as Americans and global citizens should be more empathetic towards people in other parts of the world.  

 We can start with small things like educating ourselves and shedding light on the matter-or go all out like Mona and protest (By the way,  watch the video of Mona exercising her rights to free speech below if you want to feel inspired to do something). 

§  (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/26/mona-eltahawy-arrested-for-spray-painting-anti-jihad-subway-poster_n_1915832.html

If you want to educate yourself further on the Israeli/ Palestine conflict you read the articles below.
 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/flash/world/israel/IsraelHistory.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/09/hague-warned-abstention-palestinian-statehood-vote

- Jasmine Mbadugha