“That Conversation about Race” category archive
Selective Breeding 0
Elizabeth Catte discusses the history and legacy of eugenics in the United States with Sam and his crew.
This is a longer video than I usually post, but it is well worth a listen. As the discussion points out, we have a way of covering up forgetting covering up the uncomfortable parts of our history.
You can see the dynamic today in the attempts by right-wingers to ban critical race theory.
Property Values 0
A black homeowner tries a test and finds false equivalances.
“I decided to do exactly what was done in the article,” Duffy said. “I took down every photo of my family from my house. … I took every piece of ethnic artwork out, so any African artwork, I took it out. I displayed my degrees, I removed certain books.”
Duffy asked a white male friend to sit in on the home appraisal and did not declare her race in her application or communications with the appraisal company. The new appraisal came back at more than double the first two, valuing her home more than $100,000 higher.
Much disgusting more at the link.
Unmentionable 0
At the Idaho State Journal, Leonard Hitchcock takes a look at “critical race theory” and right-wing efforts to ban it from school curricula. Given the recent amount of press critical race theory has received, I recommend his article for, in particular, its clear description of what critical race theory is.
Aside:
I find the right-wings’ thought process (or lack there of) fascinating. If American history teaches us anything, it’s that not talking about racism doesn’t make it go away.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Be polite via Zoom.
The Thursday lecture was led by Alberto Martinez, a history professor who says his research shows the song has racist origins, contrary to the university’s position. There have been calls for the university to stop using the song, which made its debut at a minstrel show and is seen by some as tied to the Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Much more at the link.
Decoding De Code 0
At AL.com, the adoptive mother of three daughters of Asian descent writes of her (and of their) experience.
I’m not sure that I agree with everything she says, but I do believe her article is worth a read, particularly in the light of the recent increase of incidents of violence and hatred against persons of Asian descent. Here’s a particularly telling bit:
Octopussy’s Garden 0
Tony Norman punctures Little Ricky’s bubble of racism.
(Follow the link to understand the title of this post.)
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Louisiana Republicans want to ban history in schools, at least, that is, the parts they don’t like.
Still Rising Again after All These Years 0
Thom Hartmann argues Donald Trump and his dupes, symps, and fellow travelers are trying to rewrite the history of the January 6 invasion of the Capitol and points out that whitewashing (I use that term advisedly) is nothing new. Here’s a bit from his article:
But what I remember most vividly about those years is the answer I got one night at dinner when I asked our kids what they learned in school that day.
“We learned about the War of Northern Aggression,” one said, explaining that the New York bankers were trying to rob people in the South and so the South had to fight back.
This is what happens when history is allowed to be re-written for over a century. And it’s happening again, today.
Follow the link for the evidence.
Denial Is Not Just a River in Egypt 0
At the Des Moines Register, Walter Suza takes issue with South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.
Out of the Mouths of Babes , , , , 0
In a letter to the editor of my local rag, a fourth grader nails it. Here’s a bit:
Follow the link for the entire letter (it’s the last one on the page).
Aside:
When I was in the fourth grade, I had neither the understanding nor the writing ability to–oh, never mind.
As the Twig Is Bent . . . 0
. . . and, boy! are these twigs bent.
Aside:
Back when I was a young ‘um going to school during the first years of gradual desegregation in my white high school (one black student the first year, eleven the next year, and so on), we knew better than to do stuff like this in public.