Multimedia Editor / Pop Culture Blogger
Los Angeles, CA
Jorge Rivas is multimedia editor and pop culture blogger for Colorlines.com. A firm believer in the power of visual communications to inform and move people into action, Jorge uses multimedia presentations to help readers build stronger connections to stories. Jorge has covered the public housing crisis in a post-Katrina New Orleans, the effects of deportation on families, and brought live images of the President Obama's inauguration to Colorlines.com readers.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jorge started in broadcast as an intern at the age of 16 and since worked in the entertainment industry and on international advertising campaigns. Jorge received his B.A. in Raza Studies from San Francisco State University where he studied immigration, healthcare perspectives and the interrelationship of culture, community, and the internet. Prior to joining Applied Research Center (ARC) and Colorlines.com in 2005, Rivas worked on a living wage campaign in Brooklyn, NY through the Minority Activist Apprenticeship Program (MAAP).
Jorge uses his media and ethnic studies background to deconstruct representation of people of color in pop culture, illustrating how pop culture can shape opinions, perceptions and even public policy. Jorge's work has appeared on Elle.com, Essence.com, Racialicious, The Root, Alternet, and Feministing.
Check out Jorge's media appearances here.
Follow Jorge on Twitter at @thisisjorge.
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Walmart Backs Away From ALEC’s Quest to Suppress Black Voters
by Jorge Rivas on May 31 2012, 2:20PM
Walmart Stores Inc., announced late Wednesday it’s suspending its membership with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the right-wing policy group that has worked to suppress the black vote and promoted “Kill at Will” gun laws.
Federal Agencies Use Finger Prints, DNA to Track Immigrant Communities
by Jorge Rivas on May 31 2012, 11:59AM
New white paper from Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Immigration Policy Center outlines privacy and security concerns.
Topics: Criminal Justice, Immigration, /NOW Blog
More Than Half of Black Male Students in Oakland Schools May Drop Out
by Jorge Rivas on May 30 2012, 5:00PM
From kindergarten through 12th grade, black boys struggled with attendance, suspension, and maintaining a C average, according to the research reports.
Topics: /NOW Blog, Schools & Youth
Johnny Depp Made Honorary Member of Comanche Nation
by Jorge Rivas on May 30 2012, 2:33PM
When producer Jerry Bruckheimer released a photo of Johnny Depp in costume as Tonto for this summer’s upcoming blockbuster The Lone Ranger they both received a lot of criticism for what many called an exaggerated and inaccurate rendition of the Comanche Indian he’s suppose to play.
Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog
SEIU Pushes for Health Care for Transgender Workers
by Jorge Rivas on May 30 2012, 2:08PM
SEIU has more than 2.1 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico that are part of the service industry, including janitors, the security guards, and health care professionals.
Topics: /NOW Blog
Michelle Obama Has Candid Chat About Approval Ratings with Jon Stewart
by Jorge Rivas on May 30 2012, 12:31PM
First Lady Michelle Obama stopped by “The Daily Show” Tuesday night.
![Obama Awards Highest Honor to Toni Morrison, Dolores Huerta [Photos]](http://colorlines.com/assets_c/2012/05/toni-morrison-1-award-thumb-120x120-6114.jpg)
Obama Awards Highest Honor to Toni Morrison, Dolores Huerta [Photos]
by Jorge Rivas on May 30 2012, 10:31AM
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the Nation’s highest civilian honor—to 13 individuals who have made meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog
Ex-Rutgers Student Dharun Ravi Convicted of Spying on Roommate Apologizes, Heads for Jail Thursday
by Jorge Rivas on May 29 2012, 5:14PM
Dharun Ravi said in a statement issued through his lawyer he was sorry for what he called his “thoughtless, insensitive, immature, stupid and childish choices.”
Topics: Criminal Justice, /NOW Blog
Arson Attack Suspected in New Orleans Women’s Clinic Fire
by Jorge Rivas on May 29 2012, 4:44PM
A New Orleans health center was destroyed in a suspicious fire last week.
Topics: Gender & Sexuality, /NOW Blog
New Video Attack Stokes Sex-Selective Abortion Panic
by Jorge Rivas on May 29 2012, 4:06PM
James O’Keefe’s legacy is alive in Lila Rose’s new abortion attack video.
Topics: Gender & Sexuality, /NOW Blog
‘Awkward Black Girl’ Season 2 to Premiere on Pharrell Williams’ YouTube
by Jorge Rivas on May 29 2012, 2:34PM
The highly acclaimed web series returns June 14th.
Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog
Calif. School District Bans Mexican Slur Used to Bully Indigenous
by Jorge Rivas on May 29 2012, 1:55PM
The district denounced the terms “Oaxaquita,” which translates to “little Oaxacan,” and “indito,” or “little Indian” referring to the indigenous people from Mexico’s Oaxaca state
Topics: Immigration, /NOW Blog
Texas Judge Throws Working High School Student in Jail
by Jorge Rivas on May 29 2012, 10:50AM
A judge threw a 17-year-old 11th grade honor student n jail for tardiness and truancy at school but there is a lot more to the story.
Topics: /NOW Blog, Schools & Youth
Rahm Emmanuel Takes Woman’s Phone - To Give Her a Job Reference
by Jorge Rivas on May 25 2012, 6:06PM
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was on his way back from a press conference on the train when he realized he was sitting next to a woman who was on a telephone interview. He surprised her with an on the spot job reference.
Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog
Asian Americans Suffer Most from Long-Term Unemployment
by Jorge Rivas on May 25 2012, 5:22PM
For the past two years, Asian Americans have had the highest share of unemployed workers who were unemployed long term.
by Jorge Rivas on May 25 2012, 3:21PM
You may actually want to go see “Men in Black 3” after you read Will Smith describing why he let’s his daughter do anything she wants with her hair.
Topics: Gender & Sexuality, /NOW Blog
Is Glee’s Only Black Cast Member Amber Riley Leaving the Show?
by Jorge Rivas on May 25 2012, 2:44PM
There’s a controversy at Fox.
Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog
Amazon Ditches the Conservative Public Policy Group ALEC
by Jorge Rivas on May 25 2012, 12:26PM
Amazon became the 16th company to announce that it has dropped ALEC since ColorOfChange launched its campaign targeting ALEC’s corporate sponsors.
New Orleans Becomes Largest U.S. City Without Daily Newspaper
by Jorge Rivas on May 25 2012, 10:51AM
The cuts come after the paper saw a steep drop in circulation. I n 2005, before Hurricane Katrina, the paper had a daily circulation of 261,000; in March of this year, the circulation was 132,000.
Canadian and Alaskan Indians Show Shell Execs Why Tar Sands Are So Bad
by Jorge Rivas on May 24 2012, 5:21PM
On Tuesday an indigenous delegation from Canada and Alaska presented Shell’s Chairman and Board with a report detailing the human and ecological rights violations they say the company’s operations have brought to their communities.
Topics: Environment, /NOW Blog
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