Dem Now! Summaries

Angelina Garcia

Soc 122 M, W, 3:30-4:45 PM

March 30, 2014

Word Count: 370

Democracy Now! Summaries

This week I watched/ read an story called Dear White People: Film Tackles Racial Stereotypes on Campus & Being a "Black Face in a White Space”. In this story, we are introduced to Justin Simien, the director of the Sundance Film Festival winning film (for U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent) titled “Dear White People”. The film is a comedy that satirizes racial stereotypes that occur on college campuses across the nation; although it is a comedy, it proposes a serious message concerning race. One of the main characters is a campus radio host of her own show called “Dear White People” at a predominantly white Ivy League school. A conflict occurs in the film when white students throw an African-American themed party, donning blackface and using fake guns as party props. As unbelievable as it sounds, there are actual college parties similar to the one in the movie; Arizona State University recently threw what they called an, MLK Black Party. They continue to talk about the film and Simien talks about his own experiences with racial stereotypes. He talks about the type of reception he wants from an audience as his film is a comedy, saying that it is a film for all people.

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/3/24/dear_white_people_film_tackles_racial

The next story that I read/ watched was called As Wells Fargo is Accused of Fabricating Foreclosure Papers, Will Banks Keep Escaping Prosecution? In this article the Justice Departments competency is put into question as banks like Wells Fargo are deemed to have low priority when it comes to mortgage fraud. It was revealed recently that Wells Fargo documents were found to guide lawyers to fabricate or make up documents in order to foreclose on homeowners. In the program, Amy Goodman introduces Linda Tirelli, a woman who represents clients who are being foreclosed on by Wells Fargo. Tirelli speaks about how she used the internet to find this so called guide that basically teaches Well Fargo lawyers to fabricate documents. Tirelli goes on to talk about how she hopes that federal courts will hold Wells Fargo accountable for their shady procedures. They conclude the broadcast with Tirelli speaking on her doubts of a person being held responsible for authoring the foreclosure guide.

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/3/21/as_wells_fargo_is_accused_of