PC Reacts is a new series by PACEs Connection in which we look at current events through a trauma-informed and PACEs science lens.
In the next episode in this series, we will respectfully and mindfully discuss issues related to the recent national fascination with the missing person and murder case of Gabby Petito, who was found at Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming on September 19th. While this case has seen hundreds, maybe thousands of pieces of media coverage over the past weeks, it has been reported that at least 710 Indigenous people were reported missing in Wyoming, most of whom have received little to no press.
"'Missing white woman syndrome' is a term used by social scientists and media commentators to refer to the observed disproportionate media coverage, especially in television, of missing-person cases involving young, white, upper-middle-class women or girls compared to the relative lack of attention towards missing women who are not white, women of lower social classes, and missing men or boys." (Wikipedia)
Please register for this event:
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Noon to 1pm Pacific Time
>> Register Here<<
Hosted by PACEs Connection staff Alison Cebulla, MPH, Porter Jennings-McGarity, MSW, PhD, and John Dovales-Flores, MSW. Guest speaker is Jody Sanborn, MA, Director of Prevention at Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
At PACEs Connection we care deeply about preventing and uncovering the root causes behind all violence. We care about Gabby Petito and hope her murder is brought to justice. However, we hope to use our platform to continue to raise awareness about injustice. It is an important time in US history in which many more people are ready to confront systemic racism and the history of genocide and take action for a more just and equitable society.
All of you, our members, are actively creating a better normal through your work on these issues. Please join us for this interactive and conversational event. We will have breakout room discussions to talk about ways that we can make a difference to ensure that the future includes equitable media coverage and equitable justice of all people who need it regardless of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, and other factors.
Topics:
- The fetishization of missing and murdered women, especially those considered "conventionally attractive" by the patriarchal white colonial male gaze
- The dehumanization of missing and murdered people of color, people who are sex workers, and other marginalized groups
- How we can highlight and lift up the cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (and other genders)
- The legacy of historical trauma in the United States against African-American/Black people, Indigenous people, and other marginalized groups, and how this legacy manifests as current health outcome disparities
- The punishment in our society of adventurous and independent women
Additionally, we will take a few moments to honor the grief that we all experience each time we have to hold space for the violence we read about or watch in the media. We will hold space for the collective grief we have when we care about victims of violence everywhere, and the grief we hold when we know that marginalized populations experience a disproportionate amount of this violence. We will hold space for feelings of helplessness before we call ourselves to action.
Please familiarize yourself with this topic so that you can play an active role in the discussion:
- The Guardian’s “The ‘Missing White Woman Syndrome’ Plagues America”
- The New York Times’ “News Media Can’t Shake ‘Missing White Woman Syndrome’, Critics Say”
- "'If we don't have blonde hair we don't get on the news': Indigenous women say the media not Gabby Petito is to blame for 'epidemic of violence' being ignored (The Independent)
- Media Fascination with the Petto Mystery Looks Like Racism to Some Native Americans (NPR)
We look forward to your presence.
Guest Speaker: Jody Sanborn
Jody Sanborn is the director of prevention with the Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (WCADVSA). With the WCADVSA since 2009, Jody leads efforts for primary prevention and social change advocacy in Wyoming. She has experience as a national, state, and local trainer specializing in rural community education and collective impact for prevention. Jody is a past recipient of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s “Visionary Voice Award” and currently serves on the National Advisory Council for Coaching Boys Into Men, a program of Futures Without Violence. Jody holds degrees in both psychology and education and considers herself a lifelong learner. When she is not collaborating with communities for social change, Jody tries to spend as much time as possible running miles and miles, climbing rocks, and sharing her love of the mountains with her partner and young daughter.
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