Arielle Newton

Bio

Arielle Newton is currently a legal assistant whose work has been featured on Thought Catalog and Black Girl Nerds. A community organizer, she recently received a congressional award from Congressman Gregory Meeks. A proud member of the Ravenclaw House, she is from and based in NYC.
2013 Has Changed the Game For Black Cinema
By Arielle Newton
2013 has marked a sea change in African American cinema.  42: The Jackie Robinson Story, Fruitvale Station, Lee Daniels' The Butler, and 12 Years a Slave all depict the collective black struggle through impassioned individual stories. Hollywood,…
'Love and Hip-Hop: New York': Mona Scott-Young is Empowered, Her Show is Not
By Arielle Newton
Love and Hip-Hop: New York season four premiered on Monday and, as usual, it was replete with the staples of reality television. The show exposes the cutthroat nature of the hip-hop industry as told by an army of self-proclaimed "bad bitches" and…
Why Some People Will Still Be in Blackface This Halloween
By Arielle Newton
Halloween is coming! It's about to be that special time when a slew of drunk 20-somethings usurp entire cultures for laughs. Cultural appropriation is what happens when dominant culture misrepresents elements of a subjugated cultural group. It's…
Developers Versus Neighborhoods: The Argument for Community Benefits Agreement
By Arielle Newton
The Kingsbridge Armory will bring approximately two billion dollars in revenue to the Bronx. After 17 years of negotiations, developers and community leaders signed a Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) that will ensure their mutual prosperity. The…
How Rand Paul Will Win With Black Voters and Millennials
By Arielle Newton
Last week, Senator Rand Paul delivered remarks likening mandatory minimum sentencing to Jim Crow; he then rallied to get voting rights restored for convicted felons. These stances come on the heels of his tacit approval of President Obama’s handling…
Sydney Leathers Video: Anthony Weiner and How to Survive a Sex Scandal
By Arielle Newton
New York voters head to the polls Tuesday to pick their candidates for mayor. This election season has been particularly tawdry, with candidates Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer both dealing with sex scandals. Former Congressman Weiner…
Why the U.S. Must Keep Syrian Women in Mind
By Arielle Newton
A recent Pew Research poll found that only 29% of Americans support military intervention in Syria. Despite this, with new evidence that Syrian forces used chemical weapons against citizens, President Obama is urging action. Americans remember the…
George Zimmerman's White Privilege
By Arielle Newton
After being acquitted of shooting an unarmed Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman requested that Florida pay $200,000 to $300,000 to cover his legal expenses. Though his actions are valid under Florida state law, his motives are not. But at this point…
Miley Cyrus Twerking: Her VMAs Sexcapade Proves She Must Be Stopped
By Arielle Newton
At last night's VMAs, Lady Gaga open the show with a mended hip, Justin Timberlake made us fall in love with him all over again when he took the stage with NSync, and we collectively facepalmed as Miley Cyrus tried to make us forget her…
'The Butler' Movie Review: Not All Black People Agreed on Civil Rights
By Arielle Newton
Lee Daniels' film The Butler, with its star-studded cast, is a powerful demonstration of the varied and often complicated perspectives of African Americans during the civil rights movement. Like similar period dramas, The Butler highlights the…