'Empire' Star Jussie Smollett Rises Above Chicago Attack

On Tuesday January 29, Empire actor and musician Jussie Smollett was attacked by two men who yelled out racist and homophobic slurs in what Chicago police are regarding as a hate crime.

During a recent concert, Smollett tearfully addressed his fans about the attack, telling them he has not fully healed but will be okay. He described how the attackers tied a rope around his neck–reminiscent of lynching attacks that black Americans faced frequently in the early 20th century–and poured a mysterious liquid some have identified as bleach onto his body. Smollett, who plays a gay character on Empire, also personally identifies as gay.

In the concert last Saturday at West Hollywood’s Troubadour club, Smollett clarified the details following the attack, he was bruised but his ribs were not cracked or broken. He also said that he went to a doctor immediately, but he wasn't hospitalized, and physicians in both Chicago and Los Angeles cleared him to perform at the concert.

“I had to be here tonight, y’all, I couldn’t let those (expletives) ... win. Above all I fought ... (expletive) back.”

— Smolett on holding the concert

He took time to thank all those who rallied beside him and the fans who arrived that night, reminding them that they need to move away from hate because love is the only thing they have. After an encore, he remarked that now is the time to be “blacker and gayer” in the face of such adversity. He also praised openly gay actor Wilson Cruz of My So Called Life for inspiring him, who was in the audience.

Although this was Smollett’s first public appearance since the attack, it is not his first time addressing the incident. In a statement issued by Essence, Smollett comments on how this is not an isolated incident and we need to be collectively more aware of these kinds of issues to prevent them from happening in the future.

He also addressed speculation on the matter, saying he has been 100% factual and consistent with authorities. "Despite my frustrations and deep concern with certain inaccuracies and misrepresentations that have been spread, I still believe that justice will be served," he wrote.

Smollett’s family has addressed the incident on social media, supporting the actor and condemning the behavior of his attackers as racial and homophobic. The attack has caused widespread outrage, and rightly so, with prominent celebrities and the general public expressing their anger and disbelief online.

Statement by the the Smollett family via Smollett’s sister Jurnee on Instagram:

Because there’s a light in him that cannot be dimmed, because we are a family of joyful warriors, we will not let this get the best of us. Although this is a picture from happier times, this is the spirit to which we chose to move forward...they will not steal, our joy. ✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽

Statement from our family: “ In the early hours of Tuesday morning, our beloved son and brother, Jussie, was the victim of a violent and unprovoked attack. We want to be clear, this was a racial and homophobic hate crime. Jussie has told the police everything from the very beginning. His story has never changed, and we are hopeful they will find these men and bring them to justice. Our family thanks everyone for their prayers and the huge amount of love he has received. We are thankful to our village for your immense support during this trying time. We are so grateful that God saw him through this cowardly attack alive. Jussie is a warrior whose light cannot be dimmed. We want people to understand these targeted hate crimes are happening to our sisters, brothers and our gender non-conforming siblings, many who reside within the intersection of multiple identities, on a monthly, weekly, and sometimes even daily basis all across our country. Oftentimes ending fatally, these are inhumane acts of domestic terrorism and they should be treated as such. They will continue to occur until we hold each other accountable. Make no mistake, words matter. Hateful words lead to hateful actions. Radical love is the only solution, but passivity will be our downfall. We, as a family, will continue to work for love, equity and justice until it reigns supreme in our nation and all over the world.
With love & gratitude,

The Smollett Family”

Chicago police have released photos of persons of interest in the attack and are asking the public to help find the culprits. Investigators have said they have a video of Smollett entering the hotel after the alleged attack in what appears to be a noose around his neck.

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What's Going on with Facebook?

Besides the incredibly uncomfortable videos and awkward memes of Mark Zuckerberg testifying before the Senate, there actually rests an important case in the wake of the Facebook scandal that you might personally be interested in. 

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Maybe you've been keeping up with the hearing, maybe you've seen that notification pop up on your news feed about revoking access to apps. In case you don't know what's been happening - I don't blame you, it's a lot - here is a really helpful article that describes the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Basically, third-parties that you might not have wanted to access your information from Facebook had unauthorized access to it. Was Trump involved? Maybe. Was your information surrendered? Maybe...

This creates the scare that we all find undesirable, but too confusing to understand. Ttrust me, the slew of questions Senators have been asking Zuckerberg show the level of perplexity that people can have about the topic. People do know what they want though: privacy protection.

Has anything changed since?

Sort of. 

Facebook is now being a little more transparent and accessible about features such as face recognition technology and targeted ad algorithms, giving users the choice of enabling and disabling such features. Furthermore, Facebook is making sure all users agree to its new Privacy Policy, though I'm not sure anyone is actually going to read that.

All of this seems a little scary, right? Or not? It's hard to understand exactly what a digital footprint can really mean, especially when you consider the amount of activity we indulge in online.

I wanted to know just what and how much Facebook knew about me, so with the help of a friend, we scoured Facebook's ad analytics and found some scary things. If you go to >Settings and >Ads for your Facebook account, you'll be greeted with ad preferences as well as your interests and your profile.

Here's a sample of what mine looked like.

Image Via Facebook

It's a little scary to see how accurate this is - and perhaps how openly willing I am to share this with the public. It's information that's oddly specific but also general; anyone that sees this can easily tell you these descriptors are true. Zuckerberg noted in his testimony that we hate ads, but we hate ads that aren't relevant. Facebook knows I'm an "engaged shopper," which explains why it pops up those Topshop and Sephora items I was looking at but didn't commit to. This concerns me, knowing that cookies can track all of my activity for the purposes of an internet identity. Imagine what third-parties can do with this information. Sure, targeted ads seem harmless, but when mixing that in with political agenda and the potential for political priming? It's a large monster in disguise, and that's what people are wary of.

So what are we giving up by giving into Facebook, its wide network, and the consequences of its free-information nature? 

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Justin Trudeau: Canada's Warrior for Civic Engagement

For its fifth anniversary, the Institute of Politics (IOP) wanted to make sure to bring in the best of the best to represent five years of innovation, debate, politics, technology, and deep analysis of the world around us in the form of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last Wednesday. With tickets for the event selling out within minutes, Trudeau was definitely one of the most popular high-profile speakers to be invited by the Institute of Politics in recent memory. By my luck, I work for the IOP as an Events Ambassador and got selected to staff the event–an opportunity of a lifetime. 

Hours before Trudeau was meant to speak, the line for the event was already flowing from Mandel Hall and extending into Hutchinson Commons. The anticipation was heightened to see one of the world's most beloved leaders speak and give insight on Canadian-U.S. relations. President Zimmer opened the event, celebrating IOP's fifth birthday with Trudeau as the guest of honor as a huge accomplishment and discussing the importance of public service. He also gave a shout-out to IOP Director David Axelrod for all his hard work and dedication to making the non-partisan organization a hub of intellectual discourse and public service for all students on campus.

After Zimmer, fourth-year Public Policy major in the College Caroline Hutton gave the official introduction to Trudeau. As the President of the IOP's Women in Public Service, Hutton describes how the IOP has curated her love for public service and given her the opportunity to open for such a prestigious leader. She describes Canada as both an ally and friend whose shares an unwavering commitment to democracy and human rights, with Trudeau holding the torch for these values and civic engagement. Through his commitments to help indigenous populations, combat climate change, and appointing the first gender-balanced cabinet in Canada, Hutton remarks that she "cannot think of a better person to embody that [progressivism]."

Emerging in a casual white button down with his sleeves rolled up, Trudeau embarks on how his childhood, with a father as the Prime Minister of Canada and a family history of politics, has given him privileges and "ridiculous good luck" many can only dream of. Raised with a deep sense of responsibility to use these opportunities to his benefit, Trudeau was initially interested in pursuing a career in teaching. As a French and mathematics teacher in his 20s, he taught students from all ages and credits their agency and drive as a key part of his development. “A good teacher," Trudeau says, "is someone who actually helps students figure out the answers for themselves.” This approach empowers students to push their limits with the information provided to them from teachers, and ultimately mirrors his views on politics and how citizens should value agency and actively shape the course of their lives and communities.

As an engineering student at Montreal's École Polytechnique, Trudeau got involved in activism and youth issues and found his place in the Liberal Party, which helped him enjoy politics more than he did growing up. For Trudeau, a child's struggle to find their career path independent from their parents and their own personal expectations is difficult and something he struggled with. His engagement with the youth and their fears, opportunities, and future helped him decide that going into politics for his personal enjoyment at the young age of thirty-five was the right move.

In his remarks, Trudeau discusses the political hurdles both Canada and the United States faces, specifically in reforming NAFTA and immigration policy. He discusses the benefits the trade deals will have for both countries, but it still needs to be modernized to the needs of today's ever-changing technological-based society to strengthen it to its fullest potential, specifically in improving labor conditions and increasing opportunities for all people.

He also focused on the power that young people have to make a lasting impact. Trudeau sees speaking to young people directly as an opportunity to draw out agents of change who think change isn’t as scary or risky as older generations. Getting young people's voices heard as challengers and those interested in having a direct impact was exciting to Trudeau and key to changing the political sphere in Canada to focus on the diversity of people and ideas as a strength.

“Anywhere I go, I have the opportunity to listen to and be inspired by young folks like you who don’t think politics as a dirty word.”

— Trudeau speaking to students

Trudeau's speech was followed by a Q&A panel discussion from the IOP’s director and former chief strategist to President Obama David Axelrod, who took questions from students as well. Axelrod honed in on Trudeau's perspective on the 2016 elections and how it has affected the U.S.-Canadian relationship. Trudeau responded with a focus on interpersonal relations with different world leaders as the key to navigating the sphere of international politics and relations. Canadians expect him to have an active role in maintaining the country's relationship with the United States while standing up for Canadian values of democracy, acceptance, and equality, which doesn’t have to be a direct contradiction. 

Trudeau also touched on the difficulty in balancing policy decisions when there is no panacea-solution that satisfies all opinions. The solution, he argued, can be found by focusing on the underlying thinking of his constituents and looking at the bigger pictures helps guide him to make decisions. His pro-stance on immigration also came up in the conversation, with Canada's immigration policy revolving around a broader consensus that immigration has been good for the country. People who come to Canada with nothing are most passionate about working hard for communities that gives their kids a new future. Protecting these policies and demonstrating how we can make immigration work for immigrants and existing residents remains an important element of what Canada stands for, according to Trudeau.

He concluded his talk by discussing how important his three children are to him, claiming he would end his political career for them. In his career, he ends up sharing his time and efforts with the rest of the country, and although he is fighting for other families to have a better life, if there was ever a time when it wasn’t worth it for his own family and children, he would question his role as Prime Minister.

Me sitting in the same chair Trudeau sat in!

The Institute of Politics has brought in more than 1,000 guests as part of their speaker series, such as Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders. Click here to follow more events and opportunities the IOP will be hosting for its fifth anniversary. 

Images sources via: Trudeau and Hutton, Trudeau, Trudeau and Axelrod

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Documenting the Women's March on Washington

With over 1 million individuals turning out to march on Washington, DC and over 5 million showing their support at sister marches around the world, the Women's March on Washington stands as a powerful signifier of how far our country has yet to travel in the struggle for equality–and how many individuals around the world will be fighting beside us along the way. 

I had the privilege of attending the March on Washington myself, and remain in awe of the determination, creativity, fury, frustration and sense of unity that surrounded me last Saturday. The turnout in DC was overwhelming–seas of protestors were visible from every direction, occupying the entirety of the National Mall’s nearly two mile span. Later on when the march officially began, the crowds left downtown DC at a standstill.

As a first time voter, November left me astounded and aghast at the state of American politics and my own place in its grand schema–and I'm sure many of you share this sentiment. The results were disheartening, to say the least, especially for those who feel Trump’s persona and policies promote a culture of intolerance and fear unfit for a democracy founded on our principles of equality. 

The March was a beautiful, much needed reminder of the importance of solidarity and activism under times of political and social uncertainty. Whether marchers were advocating for women’s and reproductive rights, the LGBT+ community, minority representation, immigration reform, climate policy, religious pluralism, or something else entirely, every individual stood for equality, acceptance and love. The sense of community and support was unspoken and firmly established the moment you stepped foot into a crowd or met eyes with someone marching beside you. 

While Trump’s policies, appearance and actions were the undisputed target of a majority of the chants, conversations, signs and speeches I witnessed, the overarching dialogue was one of hope. Throughout the day, people were praying together, confiding in one another and forming connections that transcended gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity or ability. A collective identity emerged amongst strangers, bearing the message: I see you, I hear you and I am with you. I can only hope that this collective consciousness will remain intact in the years and months to come. 

Funny signs and slogans aside, here are some ways you can stay active and keep the opposition alive:

1. Complete the Women's March 10 Actions for the first 100 days to do list and sign up for their newsletter to stay up to date on their various initiatives. 

2. Call your local representatives, express your concerns and propose solutions. 

3. Donate to Planned Parenthood, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, or any other cause you feel passionate about. 

4. Download the fact checking Google Chrome/Firefox extension for Trump tweets.

5. Set a reminder to vote for your Congressmen in November 2018. 

6. Volunteer for a local organization you care about or plan an event in your community–grassroots movements can lead to concrete policy changes. 

7. Download the FREE app Countable onto your phone. It provides the contact information for your local representatives and senators. You also can select what topics you are most concerned about and the app will give you notifications when a vote on a bill is coming up that you might be worried about. 

8. Download the Indivisible Guide to learn more about local groups and the most effective ways you can reach Congress.  

9. Help register voters for upcoming elections.

10. Stay nasty!

All images courtesy of Olivia Jia