Er-zico - Leisure

The Migration of Anatomically Modern Humans

In paleoanthropology, the recent African origin of modern humans, frequently dubbed the “Out of Africa” theory, is the most widely accepted model describing the geographic origin and early migration of anatomically modern humans. The concept was speculative until the 1980s, when it was corroborated by a study of present-day mitochondrial DNA, combined with evidence based on physical anthropology of archaic specimens.

Genetic studies and fossil evidence show that archaic Homo sapiens evolved to anatomically modern humans solely in Africa, between 200,000 and 150,000 years ago, that members of one branch of Homo sapiens left Africa by between 125,000 and 60,000 years ago, and that over time these humans replaced earlier human populations such as Neanderthals and Homo erectus. The date of the earliest successful “out of Africa” migration (earliest migrants with living descendants) has generally been placed at 60,000 years ago as suggested by genetics, although migration out of the continent may have taken place as early as 125,000 years ago according to Arabian archaeology finds of tools in the region. Read More

21 Queer Indians Recall The Exact Moment They Came Out To Their Parents

For members from the LGBTQ community, coming out can prove a challenging experience. It can prove even more testing in India, a country that still outlaws same gender sex.

When you’re a 17 year-old Dalit girl, your teacher will rape you, the school warden will encourage it, and the admin will collude to hide your murdered body

Delta Meghwal was a 17 year old student at the Jain Adarsh Teacher Training Institute for Girls in Bikaner, a small district in Rajatsthan, India. She was an artist, a brilliant student and an ambitious young woman with big dreams. She also happened to be Dalit. Which is why, her school warden, Priya Shukla, had sent her to ‘clean’ the PT instructor Vijender Singh’s room. Her being Dalit makes it okay for the warden to use her as unpaid labor. It also makes it okay for the said instructor to rape her, in that same room. Her Dalit stauts stops the school from taking any action against the teacher who just raped a student. But it doesn’t not prevent them from forcing her to sign a letter saying the rape was in fact, mutual. That too, only after the terrified child called her father to inform him of the horror. Her ‘lower caste’ guarantees that her dead body will be found in an enclosed, reportedly shallow water tank the next day. And that it will be labeled as suicide. It will also give the ‘school’ permission to have her body be taken away in a GARBAGE TRUCK. Without any evidence or record. Her Dalit identity qualifies the mainstream media to look away, for us to not care, for the insttitution her parents entrusted her safety with to rape and murder her. 

Because it’s normal for Dalits to be treated like this. Because Dalit women’s bodies are never their own. They can be used, abused and killed by any upper caste man, at this will. His caste though, makes sure he gets away. That he is able to do it again. To some other Dalit 17-year-old girl, in another school. Because Dalits, we are used to it.

Delta’s award-winning painting 

We just got an unprecedented look at a black hole ripping apart a star

For the first time ever, astronomers got a close-up peek at a black hole ripping apart a star, a rare event that results in some of the star’s material getting ejected out into space. To research this phenomenon, astronomers used data from a tidal disruption that happened 3.9 billion years ago. Studying tidal disruptions like this one is revealing new information about how black holes behave.

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Beautiful Modern Agate and Raw Crystal Jewellery By Gossamer and Violet

Gossamer and Violet, a jewellery store in Etsy selling one of a kind handmade vintage inspired agate jewellery uses unrefined precious stones and delicate silver-work to create unique accessories. Specializing in adjustable agate slice rings and bold statement jewellery including necklaces, bracelets and earrings, they have a wide range of pieces to cater to different tastes. The style of the jewellery is themed around modern lines and shapes with earthly colors, textures and materials.

Gossamer and Violet, named after being inspired by delicate gold filigree chain intertwined around the violet shade of unrefined earthly stones, sells hand-crafted jewellery that has exclusive designs made with hand-selected stones. The jewellery is based around the bright colored stone, raw and jagged shaped, with thin gold or silver highlighting the piece. The maker sources only the highest quality American materials and strenuously hand assembles each piece, making sure the product leaves the hands of the maker to the wearer at the highest standard. You can find their entire collection in her Etsy shop.

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The star of “Grey’s Anatomy”, Jesse Williams, was presented a Humanitarian award at the BET Awards on Sunday, June 26. It’s a well-deserved win since Jesse has been fighting for equal rights for Black people and supporting the Black Lives Matter for a really long time.

If you happened to miss it, watch the full speech here.

#BlackLivesMatter   

#BETAwards

Our new survey data is clear:

Most people have not received any education about what consent is, what it looks like, or how to do it. This needs to change. 

Education about consent is sexual assault prevention.

Things brown/south asian tumblr will probably never address:

Antiblackness that actually involves the input of black south asians & black people in general

Ignoring the fact that South Asia is comprised of 8 countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka.

Lack or complete ignorance of north east indian culture and peoples.

Cultural hegemony India tends to have over representing South Asia

Discussion of caste which doesn’t reduce it down to an old practice that doesn’t actively shape an individual’s life in a variety of ways that are not exclusive to socioeconomic struggles.

How the discussion of the South Asian diaspora focuses mainly on those living in the West.

Hindutva

Steve McCurry making a name for himself off of the exploitation and exotification of South Asian faces and bodies (see: Sharbat Gula: known globally merely as “The Afghan Girl”

Ignorance of the issues Adivasi peoples face across South Asia.

Exploitation of the bodies of South Asian women for surrogacy by Westerners.

Savarna appropriation of Avarna arts redeeming it anew with culture now that it’s been mutilated by forward castes. (ie: Appropriation of Sadir into modern day Bharatnatyam)

The creation of good and bad brown/south asian dichotomy in the West Post 9/11 (ie: Indian peoples are characterized/seen as intelligent spiritual peaceful people while Pakistani and Afghani peoples are characterized/seen as violent terrorists or oppressed women who are labeled under islamophobic terms such as “radical muslim”

The lack of discussion about the South Asian diaspora in the Caribbean and South America.

Discrimination against Black African students living in South Asia.

Portrayal of Hinduism & Buddhism as peaceful religions while Islam is portrayed as violent and backwards.

Complete ignorance or writing off of Southern & Northeast Indian cultures by North Indians and Northern South Asians alike as not being authentically Indian or only discussing it when talking about the different regions of India.

Shadeism

How Bollywood has stolen, appropriated, and made racist caricatures of Indians and Non-Indians who are not Savarna North Indians. (See: Chennai Express, blackface meant to represent native Hawaiian peoples seen in the Hawa Hawai song in Mr. India, Shekhar Kapur’s Bandit Queen, etc)

Misogyny and sexual violence against Dalit women.

Erasure of brown skin in South Asian media, replacing brown skinned South Asian women with extremely light skinned South Asian or white women calling them the ideal faces of South Asian womanhood and beauty.

Feel free to add to this

This is how all rape trials should go. Especially those of people who work in the sex industry because, unfortunately, some people take their profession as consent.