Religious Faith, Ethnicity and History make the intriguing combination explored on this edition of the PBS Program Finding Your Roots. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. provides Pastor Rick Warren, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, and Sheikh Yasir Qadhi with a Family History Book that tracks the physically documented as well as the biological history of their families. Using historical documents, Gates takes the religious leaders through hundreds of years and introduces them to their recent ancestors. Then, with the help of DNA analysis, he shows them their family lineage through ancient times. It's a fascinating look at how one's ethnicity often -- although not always -- determines one's faith, and how the faithful see the interconnectedness of all the world.
Check out this 51 minute program here: http://video.pbs.org/video/2219356213
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Emancipation Day- All Will Be Well
Today is the 150th anniversary of “the first time the [U.S.] government...officially liberated any group of slaves”. On Apil 16, 1862 President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill that abolished slavery in the District of Columbia and today, the residents of D.C. celebrated it as "Emancipation Day": a bonified schools-libraries-and-other-government-offices-closed holiday.
So, what's the history of Emancipation Day, you ask? I thought you might. ;)
As this article in the Washington Post points out, slavery was abolished, but slave-owners not entirely punished by a loss of "property". The bill allowed for slave-owners to be compensated for their loss. Two "experienced dealer[s] in slaves" were commissoned to determine each slave's worth. The ledger these two dealers kept is quite telling. Not only does the paperwork detail the objectification of the worth of hundreds of human beings, it also offers an insight into ninetheenth century D.C. culture and society. Take, for example, "Henry Hatton, one of several petitioners described in the ledgers as “colored”. Henry "sought compensation for three slaves, Martha, Henry and George Hatton, who could have been members of his family, according to Archives expert Damani Davis."
I am deeply intrigued by this record. Who were the Hattons? Were slaves Martha, Henry and George related to the owner Henry or did they simply happen to share a last name? How did Henry come to own these people? What did he (they?) do with the money he recevied in compensation? It is a curious notation. Finally, you'll notice the slaves aren't reduced (as in other records) to being labeled as mere posessions, but are written down as human beings with full first and last names.
I'm fascinated by this notion of paying slave owners for the loss of their slaves. To me, this compensation is offensive. It signals the goverment espousing the view that black people are property, which justifies the slave-owner's, rather than the emancipator's, claims. That the government, in the act of emancipating slaves, used the very practice of reducing the value of a human being to a (usually low) dollar amount is, at the very least, ironic.
However, I cannot ignore the very real economic climate of the 1860s. Even today I've heard (usually white) people say that the Civil War was about "economics, not slavery". Slaves were a free labor force and their emancipation changed the country in many ways, including economically. Before declaring the official U.S. Emancipation Proclimation, Lincoln offered southern states compensation in exchange for freely accepting the abolition of slavery, but they rejected the offer. I doubt that much of the racist resentment expressed by many white Americans would have been remarkably reduced if southern slave owners had been compensated for their economic loss. And yet I can't help but wonder. Would "compensation" have made a difference? The tremendous sense of hurt and loss many white southerners felt impacted their ideology as well as their actions. They passed those beliefs down to their progeny so that many in this country still hold a longing for a south they've never known.
Before I disappear entirely into impossible historical wonderings, I want to return to the joy of Emancipation Day for the end of this post.
The The District of Columbia's website has records of residents' reactions from 1862. I'd like to end my thoughts today with the tremendous recollections of one man (emphasis is mine):
"One black District citizen wrote to a friend in Baltimore, 'This indeed has been a happy day to me sights have I witnessed that I have anticipated.'
He then described how he gave the happy news to two female friends of his, one of whom had an enslaved son:
So, what's the history of Emancipation Day, you ask? I thought you might. ;)
As this article in the Washington Post points out, slavery was abolished, but slave-owners not entirely punished by a loss of "property". The bill allowed for slave-owners to be compensated for their loss. Two "experienced dealer[s] in slaves" were commissoned to determine each slave's worth. The ledger these two dealers kept is quite telling. Not only does the paperwork detail the objectification of the worth of hundreds of human beings, it also offers an insight into ninetheenth century D.C. culture and society. Take, for example, "Henry Hatton, one of several petitioners described in the ledgers as “colored”. Henry "sought compensation for three slaves, Martha, Henry and George Hatton, who could have been members of his family, according to Archives expert Damani Davis."
I am deeply intrigued by this record. Who were the Hattons? Were slaves Martha, Henry and George related to the owner Henry or did they simply happen to share a last name? How did Henry come to own these people? What did he (they?) do with the money he recevied in compensation? It is a curious notation. Finally, you'll notice the slaves aren't reduced (as in other records) to being labeled as mere posessions, but are written down as human beings with full first and last names.
I'm fascinated by this notion of paying slave owners for the loss of their slaves. To me, this compensation is offensive. It signals the goverment espousing the view that black people are property, which justifies the slave-owner's, rather than the emancipator's, claims. That the government, in the act of emancipating slaves, used the very practice of reducing the value of a human being to a (usually low) dollar amount is, at the very least, ironic.
However, I cannot ignore the very real economic climate of the 1860s. Even today I've heard (usually white) people say that the Civil War was about "economics, not slavery". Slaves were a free labor force and their emancipation changed the country in many ways, including economically. Before declaring the official U.S. Emancipation Proclimation, Lincoln offered southern states compensation in exchange for freely accepting the abolition of slavery, but they rejected the offer. I doubt that much of the racist resentment expressed by many white Americans would have been remarkably reduced if southern slave owners had been compensated for their economic loss. And yet I can't help but wonder. Would "compensation" have made a difference? The tremendous sense of hurt and loss many white southerners felt impacted their ideology as well as their actions. They passed those beliefs down to their progeny so that many in this country still hold a longing for a south they've never known.
Before I disappear entirely into impossible historical wonderings, I want to return to the joy of Emancipation Day for the end of this post.
The The District of Columbia's website has records of residents' reactions from 1862. I'd like to end my thoughts today with the tremendous recollections of one man (emphasis is mine):
"One black District citizen wrote to a friend in Baltimore, 'This indeed has been a happy day to me sights have I witnessed that I have anticipated.'
He then described how he gave the happy news to two female friends of his, one of whom had an enslaved son:
When I entered they perceived that something was
ahead and emmediately [sic] asked me “What’s the news?” The District’s
free says I pulling out the “National Republic” and reading its
editorial. When I had finished the chambermaid had left the room sobbing
for joy. The slave women clapped her hands and shouted, left the house
saying, “let me go and tell my husband that Jesus has done all things
well.” While the cook who is free retired to another room to offer
thanks for the blessing sent. Should I not feel glad to see so much
rejoicing around me? Were I a drinker I would get on a Jolly spree
today, but as a Christian I can but kneel in prayer and bless God for
the privilege I’ve enjoyed this day….Would to God that the Law applied
also to Baltimore but a little patience and all will be well."
Here's to moments which give us hope that one day "all will be well".
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
What God Put Us Down Here For
Wednesdays have become the day to discuss race and faith on ColorBind. Today I'd like to hear from the brother of one of the Tulsa shooting victims (read about the incident here). Kenneth Fields was interviewed by Morning Edition on NPR. His sister, Donna Fields, was killed a block from her house as Jake England and Alvin Watts opened fire in her Tulsa neighborhood.
Here, from that broadcast, is what Kenneth has to say about the incident and the shooters:
"Kenneth Fields says he wants justice for his sister, but he doesn't think the men who have confessed to killing her should be put to death.
"I don't hate them. I don't hate them. That ain't what God put us down here for, to hate nobody," he says... He even wonders who will raise Jake England's infant son".
In my previous post, I talked about Jake England's choice to use his anger over the loss of his father to enact revenge against black people. Kenneth Fields has made the opposite choice. I am grateful for this silver lining in a sky that increasingly looks grim and cloudy and I will remember his words for a long time to come.
Here, from that broadcast, is what Kenneth has to say about the incident and the shooters:
"Kenneth Fields says he wants justice for his sister, but he doesn't think the men who have confessed to killing her should be put to death.
"I don't hate them. I don't hate them. That ain't what God put us down here for, to hate nobody," he says... He even wonders who will raise Jake England's infant son".
In my previous post, I talked about Jake England's choice to use his anger over the loss of his father to enact revenge against black people. Kenneth Fields has made the opposite choice. I am grateful for this silver lining in a sky that increasingly looks grim and cloudy and I will remember his words for a long time to come.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Revenge
___Second Installment of Racial Stories in the News__
The newest news story regarding hate crimes to hit the big news stations is from Tulsa, Oklahoma. According to this article from Fox News (notice I'm trying to show equality in my news sources ;) ) two men, Jake England (age 19) and Alvin Watts (age 32) have been arrested as suspects in the recent Tulsa shooting rampage which left three men dead.
The shooting happened in a predominately black neighborhood and all three people who were killed, plus two who were injured, were black. That, coupled with comments England made on his Facebook profile, has many calling the shooting a hate crime against blacks. While the Tulsa police have taken these crimes seriously and quickly arrested the suspects without incident, they are hesitant to label the killings "hate crimes" without further evidence.
This case brings up many issues. Firstly, I commend the Tulsa police force for acting with such integrity. Crimes against blacks -- really all minorities -- have often been disregarded or labeled 'less important' than crimes against whites. The Tulsa Police Department seems to have been treating this particular crime-solving effort with the speed and diligence expected of such a horror. I am glad to see they aren't ignoring the fact that this could be a racist hate crime, but I'm equally glad to see that they are waiting for evidence to determine the nature of the crime. I've recently heard many black commentators, speaking of Trayvon Martin's death, say things like, "We just want the justice system to work for us the way it works for the rest of the country". It seems Tulsa Police are providing an example of that equal treatment.
Secondly, I'd like to take a look at Jake England. According to the Fox News article, England has had a rough couple of years. Scratch that. He's had a really rough couple of years. In 2010, when England would have been seventeen, a man broke into Jake England's sister's apartment. Their father tried to fight off the intruder, but was shot in the chest and killed. The intruder, the man who shot England's father, was black.
Fast forward almost two years. England is nineteen, has a fiancé and a new baby. Perhaps things are looking up, until his fiancé commits suicide. England is now looking at life as a single parent without his father and without his partner all before he starts his second decade of life. That would make anyone scared and upset. It would even make some people act out in anger, seeking a kind of revenge. The previously mentioned article even cites "concern about possible [black-led] vigilantism in retaliation" against the shooters.
No one, regardless of the color of their skin, is immune to anger brought on by a great loss. And no one, regardless of the color of their skin, should get away with violent acts because they have suffered that great loss. However, the racial divide we experience in the U.S. feeds justification for such acts of revenge. If I only have one experience with a black man and it happens to be negative, then it’s easy for me to assume my experiences with all black men will be negative – indeed that black men themselves are bad. If a black man only meets one white man who happens to be a bigot, it would be easy for him to assume that all white men are bigots. With this warped mentality, randomly shooting at a group of people simply because of the color of their skin can be interpreted as revenge.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about ethnic tensions in the Middle East, too, and I wonder if ignorance isn’t a big problem there, just as it is in the U.S. We humans just don’t know each other.
Today at lunch, I was speaking with a friend of mine who is on a committee in Abilene called United By Faith. United By Faith members attempt to gather together people of many different ethnic backgrounds in Christian worship and fellowship. I believe it is these types of things that will slowly bring us together; friendships across racial lines, the ability to sit together at a dinner table or in a pew, to learn from each other and grow. But I’m tired to periphery relationships. I want blacks and whites to have deep, committed friendships, where they really, truly, intimately know one another. I want to see more black girls and white girls choosing to be roommates their freshmen year in college. I don’t know the make-up of Jake England’s friend base, but I’m willing to guess it didn’t include very many black people. Perhaps, if Jake had a strong friendship with a black man, he wouldn’t have opened fire randomly in a black neighborhood. Perhaps.
I know I sound like a crazy idealist, but I’ve actually experienced this change in my life. I used to judge many of the black kids at my church who horseplay really roughly on Wednesday nights. I thought they were fighting and would often interrupt them, reprimanding them for their fighting (I wasn’t going to be fooled by their claim, “We’re just play-fighting”). Eventually the girls I drive home told me they really are play-fighting. This is something they do all the time: at home, at their cousins’ house, at school. It’s part of how this group of kids shows affection. They were persuasive enough for me to realize I had been placing my own worldview over their behavior, my worldview that said anything I perceive as negative is serious and needs to be stopped. I now watch their horseplay from the side. It still makes me anxious and I keep an eye to discern if someone is actually in real pain or danger, but I know what’s going on and so I can stand back and let them handle it. And they do a pretty good job. As good as any yet-to-be-fully-developed teenager can. ;)
The point is, I would never have known this fact about these kids had I not been in relationship with some of them. This is my idealistic plea for relationships across divides: racial, ethnic, political, economic, and religious. Perhaps, perhaps with more and deeper relationships, we will love each other more or at least hate each other less. It is a challenge I myself must face: to get to know my fellow human beings.
The newest news story regarding hate crimes to hit the big news stations is from Tulsa, Oklahoma. According to this article from Fox News (notice I'm trying to show equality in my news sources ;) ) two men, Jake England (age 19) and Alvin Watts (age 32) have been arrested as suspects in the recent Tulsa shooting rampage which left three men dead.
The shooting happened in a predominately black neighborhood and all three people who were killed, plus two who were injured, were black. That, coupled with comments England made on his Facebook profile, has many calling the shooting a hate crime against blacks. While the Tulsa police have taken these crimes seriously and quickly arrested the suspects without incident, they are hesitant to label the killings "hate crimes" without further evidence.
This case brings up many issues. Firstly, I commend the Tulsa police force for acting with such integrity. Crimes against blacks -- really all minorities -- have often been disregarded or labeled 'less important' than crimes against whites. The Tulsa Police Department seems to have been treating this particular crime-solving effort with the speed and diligence expected of such a horror. I am glad to see they aren't ignoring the fact that this could be a racist hate crime, but I'm equally glad to see that they are waiting for evidence to determine the nature of the crime. I've recently heard many black commentators, speaking of Trayvon Martin's death, say things like, "We just want the justice system to work for us the way it works for the rest of the country". It seems Tulsa Police are providing an example of that equal treatment.
Secondly, I'd like to take a look at Jake England. According to the Fox News article, England has had a rough couple of years. Scratch that. He's had a really rough couple of years. In 2010, when England would have been seventeen, a man broke into Jake England's sister's apartment. Their father tried to fight off the intruder, but was shot in the chest and killed. The intruder, the man who shot England's father, was black.
Fast forward almost two years. England is nineteen, has a fiancé and a new baby. Perhaps things are looking up, until his fiancé commits suicide. England is now looking at life as a single parent without his father and without his partner all before he starts his second decade of life. That would make anyone scared and upset. It would even make some people act out in anger, seeking a kind of revenge. The previously mentioned article even cites "concern about possible [black-led] vigilantism in retaliation" against the shooters.
No one, regardless of the color of their skin, is immune to anger brought on by a great loss. And no one, regardless of the color of their skin, should get away with violent acts because they have suffered that great loss. However, the racial divide we experience in the U.S. feeds justification for such acts of revenge. If I only have one experience with a black man and it happens to be negative, then it’s easy for me to assume my experiences with all black men will be negative – indeed that black men themselves are bad. If a black man only meets one white man who happens to be a bigot, it would be easy for him to assume that all white men are bigots. With this warped mentality, randomly shooting at a group of people simply because of the color of their skin can be interpreted as revenge.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about ethnic tensions in the Middle East, too, and I wonder if ignorance isn’t a big problem there, just as it is in the U.S. We humans just don’t know each other.
Today at lunch, I was speaking with a friend of mine who is on a committee in Abilene called United By Faith. United By Faith members attempt to gather together people of many different ethnic backgrounds in Christian worship and fellowship. I believe it is these types of things that will slowly bring us together; friendships across racial lines, the ability to sit together at a dinner table or in a pew, to learn from each other and grow. But I’m tired to periphery relationships. I want blacks and whites to have deep, committed friendships, where they really, truly, intimately know one another. I want to see more black girls and white girls choosing to be roommates their freshmen year in college. I don’t know the make-up of Jake England’s friend base, but I’m willing to guess it didn’t include very many black people. Perhaps, if Jake had a strong friendship with a black man, he wouldn’t have opened fire randomly in a black neighborhood. Perhaps.
I know I sound like a crazy idealist, but I’ve actually experienced this change in my life. I used to judge many of the black kids at my church who horseplay really roughly on Wednesday nights. I thought they were fighting and would often interrupt them, reprimanding them for their fighting (I wasn’t going to be fooled by their claim, “We’re just play-fighting”). Eventually the girls I drive home told me they really are play-fighting. This is something they do all the time: at home, at their cousins’ house, at school. It’s part of how this group of kids shows affection. They were persuasive enough for me to realize I had been placing my own worldview over their behavior, my worldview that said anything I perceive as negative is serious and needs to be stopped. I now watch their horseplay from the side. It still makes me anxious and I keep an eye to discern if someone is actually in real pain or danger, but I know what’s going on and so I can stand back and let them handle it. And they do a pretty good job. As good as any yet-to-be-fully-developed teenager can. ;)
The point is, I would never have known this fact about these kids had I not been in relationship with some of them. This is my idealistic plea for relationships across divides: racial, ethnic, political, economic, and religious. Perhaps, perhaps with more and deeper relationships, we will love each other more or at least hate each other less. It is a challenge I myself must face: to get to know my fellow human beings.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Mr. Wrong__The 2nd Installment of "That White Woman is Starrin' At Us"
Yesterday Casey introduced me to Mr. Wrong by Mary J. Blige. She connected her phone to the tape player (yes, tape player) in my car and played the song for us all saying to Amelia, "You don't know this song? You got to know this song!" They swayed in my car listening to the song, which reminded me in style of Me and Mrs. Jones. The lyrics reminded me of a struggle many people have: staying in relationship with someone despite knowing their impact is not good.
Casey changed the words "Mr. Wrong" to the name of her ex-boyfriend and the entire car erupted in laughter. It may sound strange, but it was really sweet driving along listening to these girls mourn, sing, and heal together. I often feel like I'm 40 years old around them, but this time that feeling was nice. I could observe them as one who has passed the years of teenage angst. I could see them growing and learning: dealing with hard things, but doing so with a strong group of friends around them. I'm glad they have each other. Thinking of all that made me smile. And miss the street I was supposed to turn on. Like 5 times. They basically had to direct me home I was so distracted thinking about it.
Community is good and if healthy community can be built around a song, I don't think that's wrong. Not wrong at all.
Casey changed the words "Mr. Wrong" to the name of her ex-boyfriend and the entire car erupted in laughter. It may sound strange, but it was really sweet driving along listening to these girls mourn, sing, and heal together. I often feel like I'm 40 years old around them, but this time that feeling was nice. I could observe them as one who has passed the years of teenage angst. I could see them growing and learning: dealing with hard things, but doing so with a strong group of friends around them. I'm glad they have each other. Thinking of all that made me smile. And miss the street I was supposed to turn on. Like 5 times. They basically had to direct me home I was so distracted thinking about it.
Community is good and if healthy community can be built around a song, I don't think that's wrong. Not wrong at all.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
April 4, 1968
Today is the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. In memory of this incredible Civil Rights leader, I'm posting part of the speech he gave on April 3, 1968. Please take ten minutes here to listen to his prophetic speech, consider the journey of blacks in the U.S., as well as the intersection of race and faith.
I'm also posting one of my most favorite speeches from a politician ever. Robert Kennedy gave this speech announcing King's death.
MLK's Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySGDMdQaDA0&feature=related
RFK's Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbt87kt92tg
I'm also posting one of my most favorite speeches from a politician ever. Robert Kennedy gave this speech announcing King's death.
MLK's Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySGDMdQaDA0&feature=related
RFK's Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbt87kt92tg
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Will Anything Change Now That Trayvon is Dead?__Big News Race Stories
Here are my thoughts on the so-called Trayvon Martin Case.
In case you haven't heard, here is a summary of what happened to Trayvon:
On February 26, 2012 a Florida man named George Zimmerman shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Trayvon was black, wearing a hoodie and carrying a bag of candy, an iced tea and a cell phone. Something about the way Martin looked as he walked toward his father's girlfriend's house made George Zimmerman see him as a potentially dangerous person. I've heard many people say the only thing Trayvon could have done to keep Zimmerman from following him was to have been non-black.
Zimmerman listened to his instincts and called 911, describing Martin as someone suspicious. Even after the 911 operator told Zimmerman "We don't need you to" follow Martin, Zimmerman pursued the teenager and engaged in a confrontation (the details of which are still unclear), which ended in Martin's death.
Zimmerman was not arrested. The local police department justified the lack of an arrest by citing the Stand Your Ground Act, which (although it is a very complicated law that has not been interpreted with much consistency) basically gives immunity to a person who uses deadly force against someone they believe is trying to kill them. It's ok to kill your attacker as long as you think they're trying to kill you. Obviously, there are a number of loop-holes and questions that this law brings up, which is why many people are calling for the Stand Your Ground Act to be changed and for George Zimmerman to be convicted of murder.
I'm certainly interested in justice for Trayvon. I want the laws and law-enforcement agents to be fair to all U.S. citizens, but this post is not going to be about that specific case for justice or about changes to the Stand Your Ground Act or other political changes that need to be considered. This post is going to attempt to discuss what Reverend Al Sharpton called "the real problem" (quote can be found on this broadcast). The real problem is that racism is institutionalized.
Melissa Harris-Perry has produced a number of important and interesting broadcasts on the Trayvon Martin case on her MSNBC show, but this discussion with Rev. Al Sharpton, Kenji Yoshino (Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at New York University School of Law), Tim Wise (anti-racist writer and activist) and Richard Cohen (President of the Southern Poverty Law Center).
I am challenged by Tim Wise's comments about institutional racism. Certain stereotypes and assumptions are so internalized that, he says, we don't even register them at a conscious level. They are deeply ingrained in our psyche so that even "1/3 of black folks have internalized biases against their own group".
Because of this rampant institutionalized racism many black children grow up in the U.S. learning how to appear less suspect -- the insinuation being that they are born suspect because of the color of their skin. As Corey Dade explains in this NPR broadcast, black children may be told not to loiter, argue with police, or even, "never leave a store without a shopping bag for fear of being suspected as having shoplifted". The idea is that if they follow these rules, they will appear less "suspect", less "feared". Dade indicates that this teaching can be done "without instilling any kind of inferiority complex or a sense of paranoia". However, I have my doubts.
This past Saturday I took my favorite 11 year-old to the library. She wanted to get on the adult computer, so we did. We searched for different Internet educational games (she recently landed in the 80th and 90th percentile of those who took the State's Standardized Test :) ), however after about 15 minutes, they weren't stimulating to her. So, of her own volition, she started to search for information on Trayvon Martin. Since this lovely 11-year-old is black, I suddenly found myself in a position to either use Trayvon's death to teach her about how to protect herself, or to teach her about how assumptions can be deadly.
In truth, I do not want this case to encourage black parents to tell their little black children that they have to be more careful. I want change! I want this case to cause parents to tell their little children "Don't make assumptions!" There's all this talk about Trayvon's death starting a movement. I hope it's a movement of the heart, which can continue to change our internal, institutionalized, sub-conscious thoughts and actions.
All my life I've wanted to adopt a child. I've thought a lot in recent years about the possibility of adopting a black child (I'm a bit sorry to say that Brangelina and Sandra Bullock probably have influenced me). "Raising a black child with two white parents would do a lot toward tearing down racial prejudice" I thought, "Everyone would see that whites and blacks can live together happily and love each other -- and if the next generation sees mixed-race families, they won't be racist anymore! Problem solved!" This weekend, however, I gave some serious thought to the positive aspects of having my own child -- or at least raising white children. Perhaps part of my responsibility as a white woman is to raise up white people who don't fear black people. And, truthfully, I can do this without even having children of my own. In my own life, I can make the following choices: I can use a Bible with pictures of a black Jesus when I teach children at Sunday School. I can invite the college students at the college I work for to consider black American plays, art, and dance. I can (gasp) take white and black children to the zoo together.
I'm going to end with two bits from the Melissa Harris-Perry Show. One is from Tim Wise and one from Melissa Harris-Perry herself.
In response to the anthem "I am Trayvon Martin" and thinking about our internalized racism, Tim Wise said, "For a lot of us, we're probably a lot more like George Zimmerman and we have to be honest about that if we're going to move forward". Love that.
Finally, Melissa Harris-Perry presents her "Guide for How White People Can Talk About Trayvon Martin". This.is.really.great.
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