1. Erasing Race The Story of ReenaVirk – YasminJawani

2. THE STORY

4. Embedded into Canadian society and our upbringing (macrocosm)

5. Lack of coverage and critical analysis of racism as a form of violence as well as violence against women, especially racialized women

6. The absence of racism as a motivating factor for the murder of ReenaVirk in the judiciary system and in media coverage

7. Mass media reinforces elite definitions of race/racism that serve hegemonic interests and become embedded in dominant discourse

10. Dislocation

11. Racism

12. Backlash

14. Racialized communities are characterized as deviant

16. Canadian news media expresses racism with techniques of omission to reinforce hegemonic interests

18. MEDIA FRAMES – ERASING RACE There was testimony of the attackers making fun of Reena’s hairy back and burning a cigarette out on her forehead, where a bindi is usually placed Also, one of Reena’s killers, Warren, who had never met or spoken to Reena before the attack, was said to have been bragging earlier about picking a fight with a Native man i.e. Dominant heirarchy; it is easier to engage in and get away with violence with a Native man then a white one A period of time later, Warren’s girlfriend, Syreeta, testified in court that Reena’s murder was racially motivated The attackers were NOT charged with hate crimes Racial motivations never made it to the media These are examples of how racism is institutionalized in today’s society i.e. The judiciary system and the mass media have worked together to successfully erase racism and violence against women from the trial and coverage of the ReenaVirk murder.

20. Despite advancements made by the 1st, 2nd, 3rd wave feminist movements, we remain a assimilatory society based on patriarchal values – “othering”

21. Violence impacts girls and boys differently and it impacts people from different cultures differently

22. Media focus on girl-on-girl violence implied that women “don’t get to be violent” because we are so liberated now – reinforces the construction of gender roles based on patriarchal values

23. The refined Victorian women – colonial attitudes live on

24. Reena’s murder and trial contained several subdominant motifs that were breezed over

25. Child sexual abuse and violence in the home – marginalized communities are forced into silence for fear of increased exclusion and stereotyping

26. Link between violence and running away from home

28. The stories in the media regarding Reena’s murder all supported one another i.e. One point of view that becomes naturalized – CNN!

29. They involved analysis from academics, police and judges – power of the institutions

30. Elite definitions of racism in the media i.e. Coverage seemed to reflect Judge Macauly’s sentencing: that the murder was the result of violent intent that was unconnected to racism, sexism or a combination thereof. FIN

31. Example of the Denial of Institutionalized RacismThis picture is an ad for Sony Playstation– the white version. The caption on the ad read “White is Coming.”