Decoded

6 Things I'm Thankful For in 2015

Season 2 • 11/25/2015

On Decoded, we’re always trying to explain aspects of inequality in America and across the world. Since society is prettyyyy unequal, we tend to not celebrate the positive steps-forward as often as we criticize the negative steps-back. But this Thanksgiving, let’s talk about some good things that happened this year. Here are 6 Things Franchesca is thankful for in 2015! What are you thankful for?

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Is Star Wars Attacking White People?
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This week Star Wars fans broke the Internet by pre-ordering tickets for the upcoming ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ film. But even with all the excitement surrounding the new trailer, that didn’t stop a small, but very vocal, group of fanbros from organizing a boycott. So what's the deal with the racist trolling?
10/23/2015
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03:50

8 Comebacks for Transphobic Relatives Over the Holidays
DecodedS2

It’s Transgender Awareness Week and we have a very special guest! The incredible illustrator and trans activist, Kat Blaque! There are still lots of people who aren’t very progressive when it comes to talking about trans people and trans issues. And with the holidays coming up, you could end up having some slightly uncomfortable conversations at the dinner table. But don’t worry! We’re here to help. Here are 8 comebacks for transphobic relatives over the holidays.
11/20/2015
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02:42

Columbus Was a Genocidal Rapist
DecodedS2

Anadarko, Oklahoma has become the most recent city in the US to get rid of “Columbus Day” in favor of “Indigenous Peoples’ Day.” So why the change? Well, Christopher Columbus was actually a pretty terrible person, making celebrating him seem pretty pointless. Here are 5 reasons why we should get rid of his holiday.
10/06/2015
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01:12

Do #BlackLivesMatter or #AllLivesMatter?
DecodedS2

This week, the Democratic Debate showcased discussions about some serious topics within our country. But despite most candidates having good answers to “Do #BlackLivesMatter or #AllLivesMatter?” the conversation seemed to end there. Nothing about institutional racism, nothing about the relationship between police officers and communities of color; just a simple binary question. What do you wish the Democratic candidates had discussed regarding this very important issue?
10/16/2015
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02:19

How to Deal w/ Racist Trolls
DecodedS2

Have your ever encountered a racist troll who don't want to engage in honest debate but simply exists to flame controversy and make people mad? Have you seen them in the Decoded comment section? Well in today's mini-episode Franchesca takes a look at how we can all prevent them from ruining the conversation.
11/03/2015
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02:11

Why Are People Comparing Trump to Hitler?
DecodedS2

“The Donald” has been bombarded with criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike after his recent comments about Muslims entering the U.S. Many have begun to compare Trump’s positions against “outsiders” to Hitler’s views during WWII. While he certainly isn’t a genocidal mass murderer, he does give off some fascist vibes. What are your thoughts on the issue? Are Hitler comparisons justified, or are they taking it too far?
12/09/2015
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02:02

Why Do the Dutch Do Blackface for Christmas?
DecodedS2

When Christmas comes around you can usually expect to see Santa, his reindeer and helpful elves everywhere. But Dutch Santa doesn’t have elves...he has “Black Pete” or “Zwarte Pete.” Pete first showed up in the 1850 Dutch book “Saint Nicholas and his servant.” The story claims “Black Pete” is black because of the chimney soot, but that doesn’t explain his afro textured hair, or large bright red lips….all familiar racist black caricatures. Today, Black Pete is still a huge tradition in the Netherlands. So what'sthe deal? Why is this racist character still celebrated?
12/19/2015
Highlight
03:10

6 Things I'm Thankful For in 2015
DecodedS2

On Decoded, we’re always trying to explain aspects of inequality in America and across the world. Since society is prettyyyy unequal, we tend to not celebrate the positive steps-forward as often as we criticize the negative steps-back. But this Thanksgiving, let’s talk about some good things that happened this year. Here are 6 Things Franchesca is thankful for in 2015! What are you thankful for?
11/25/2015
Highlight
01:49

Why Aren't All Protestors Treated Like the Oregon Militia?
DecodedS2

This past week a group of armed anti-government militiamen took over a national wildlife refuge in Oregon. But when the cops showed up...things got interesting. Because nothing happened! No tanks. No tear gas. No combat gear. And we've yet to hear any major news outlet or tv commentator call these men thugs or terrorists. This is of course in stark contrast to how police and media responded to protests in Ferguson and Baltimore following the deaths of Mike Brown and Freddie Grey. So what's the deal here?
01/06/2016
Highlight
05:21

Colorism in the Latinx Community! Ft. Lee Chin
DecodedS6 E8

When we think about people being judged exclusively by the color of their skin, we think “Racism.” But why would black people in Brazil get upset about a black woman winning a beauty contest? Well that’s called colorism and it’s actually pretty common in Latin America and the Latinx community in America. How so? Watch the episode to find out. This episode was created in collaboration with truth®. Checkout https://www.thetruth.com/ to find out more.
02/22/2018
Highlight
05:46

Are Mexicans Taking our Jobs? ft. Maritza Montañez
DecodedS6 E9

Whether it’s building a wall or talk about getting out of NAFTA, the realities of Mexican immigration and jobs are very contentious topic. But are Mexicans really taking away jobs from American citizens? Well the answer is a lot more complicated than political slogans may lead you to believe. This episode was created in collaboration with truth®. Checkout https://www.thetruth.com/ to find out more.
03/01/2018
Highlight
05:18

Are All Asians Rich? Ft. Lily Du
DecodedS6 E10

Asian Americans on average very financially successful and there’s a common argument called the “Model Minority” that their financial success is due to a combination of being family oriented, and education focused. But here’s the thing, there’s a lot of Asian Americans are very poor and it wasn’t just plain old hard work that helped other Asian Americans succeed. This episode was created in collaboration with truth®. Checkout https://www.thetruth.com/ to find out more.
03/08/2018
Highlight
06:30

Can You Choose Your Own Pronouns? Ft. Patti Harrison
DecodedS6 E11

While it may seem that “He” and “She” are the only options when it comes to pronouns, the truth is that English has more options then these two gendered identifiers. In fact, the non-gendered singular “they” goes back to Shakespeare and is already common in everyday usage. So why is everyone up getting so upset about people choosing how to identify themselves? Watch the episode to find out. This episode was created in collaboration with truth®. Checkout https://www.thetruth.com/ to find out more.
03/14/2018
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