Take this Hammer: James Baldwin in Oakland, 1963

When people think of James Baldwin, they think of Go Tell It On The Mountain, The Fire Next Time, or Giovanni’s Room.

They might think of his articles for The New Yorker. They wouldn’t readily think of him as a documentarian. He was that too! Continue reading Take this Hammer: James Baldwin in Oakland, 1963

“White privilege” as an irritant when talking about race…

An old friend left me a question on my post of Nick Kristof’s column on Facebook:

 

WhitePrivilege

The question is asked by someone whom I know is well-meaning, thoughtful and truly wants to see the dialog on race get ahead, rather than continue at the standstill it is at now. Continue reading “White privilege” as an irritant when talking about race…

Michael Brown: A collection of the best reporting to date

Michael Brown spent his last day with his friend Dorian Johnson. Here’s what Johnson saw. – Vox

By Ezra Klein
November 25, 2014

Earlier today, I wrote that Officer Darren Wilson’s newly released account of his altercation with Michael Brown was unbelievable. Which isn’t to say it was wrong. It was just hard to believe that events played out exactly as Wilson described.

But the story Wilson tells makes much more sense if you also read it alongside Dorian Johnson’s testimony — and use the two accounts to balance each other out. Continue reading Michael Brown: A collection of the best reporting to date

‘Suicide’ ruling in #NorthCarolina teen’s death challenged | #LennonLacy | The Guardian

 

See my blogger’s note below:


lennon lacy knights shirt
Lennon Lacy, 17, was found dead just hours before a big game in his high school’s football calendar. Photograph: The Guardian

Forensic pathologist questions procedures followed by authorities after Lennon Lacy, 17, was found hanging from a swing set in a largely white trailer park

Continue reading ‘Suicide’ ruling in #NorthCarolina teen’s death challenged | #LennonLacy | The Guardian

Court OKs Barring High #IQs for #Cops | ABC News

Please note: this story is from the year 2000

N E W L O N D O N, Conn., Sept. 8, 2000

More ABC US news | ABC World News

A man whose bid to become a police officer was rejected after he scored too high on an intelligence test has lost an appeal in his federal lawsuit against the city.

Continue reading Court OKs Barring High #IQs for #Cops | ABC News

My Comment on: Bigger Than Immigration | NYTimes

NOV. 23, 2014

Don’t let yourself get lost in the weeds. Don’t allow yourself to believe that opposition to President Obama’s executive actions on immigration is only about that issue, the president’s tactics, or his lack of obsequiousness to his detractors.

Continue reading My Comment on: Bigger Than Immigration | NYTimes

Immigration Reform Is a Black Thing, Too – The Root

Your Take: Pitting black issues vs. immigrant issues is a false dichotomy.

Posted: Nov. 23 2014

The administrative relief measures that President Barack Obama announced Thursday will benefit an estimated four million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. This long awaited measure came several months after the president promised to take executive action in the absence of any cooperation by an obstructionist Congress to pass legislation.

Continue reading Immigration Reform Is a Black Thing, Too – The Root

@MichaelEDyson to #Giuliani: It’s ‘the defense mechanism of #whitesupremacy in your mind’

Professor Michael Eric Dyson was in rare form today and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani got his just desserts, in the most spectacular way. Watch:

http://youtu.be/jV0IdJcBIao
Continue reading @MichaelEDyson to #Giuliani: It’s ‘the defense mechanism of #whitesupremacy in your mind’

Postscript to my comment on: Lori Tharps: The Case for Black With a Capital B

By Lori L. Tharps

November 19, 2014

PHILADELPHIA — I WAS sitting in my office at Temple University when I overheard an exchange between a colleague and his student. The student had come to see her professor to go over a paper, and he was patiently explaining that the abundance of grammatical mistakes detracted from her compelling content. I sympathized with my colleague as he pointed out error after error. Until he came to this one.

“Why did you capitalize black and white people?” he asked. “I thought I’d seen it written that way before,” the girl stammered. “Come on,” he said. “Why would you capitalize black or white?”

Continue reading Postscript to my comment on: Lori Tharps: The Case for Black With a Capital B

How Much Does #Immigration Increase Poverty? Less than Robert Samuelson Thinks it Does

Jared Bernstein
November 17, 2014

It is a common mistake to overestimate the contribution of immigration to the increase in poverty. Today’s purveyor of this erroneous association is the WaPo’s Robert Samuelson, who writes in the context of a discussion about immigration reform:

Continue reading How Much Does #Immigration Increase Poverty? Less than Robert Samuelson Thinks it Does