BET Struggles to Relate with Black Viewers : NPR

This item, BET Struggles to Relate with Black Viewers, sparked some discussion.  In a time of “500 channels,” what is (or should be) the role of a channel targeted specifically to an African-American audience?  Does it matter whether the channel is no longer Black-owned?  

Group protests Cobb bar, calls Obama T-shirts racist

At one level, this story isn’t that surprising – Marietta is not known as the last bastion of progressive sensibilities.

And yet, I have to admit that I find it humorous, in cynical way. The quote “Norman acknowledged the imagery’s Jim Crow roots but said he sees nothing wrong with depicting a prominent African-American as a monkey” made me laugh. The patron who stated “People here are genuine and honest. It’s the one place I can go without having to worry if I’m offending someone” was also darkly amusing. I guess privilege is indeed deaf, dumb, and blind.

LA Times: Talking about race: Um, you first

Newsflash! The LA Times indicates that speaking frankly and honesty about race is a difficult and sticky matter.

Aren’t White people funny when they act like Black people?

As a resident of the suburbs, I found this video initially amusing.   As I watched, though, it just didn’t sit right.  What’s the source of the humor?  What’s the message?

While most Christians embrace Christmas, a few recall a more complex history

There are folks who publicly object to efforts to make the holiday season more inclusive by either downplaying mentions of Christmas or including reference to other faith/cultural traditions. This AP article reminds us that there is nothing scriptural or even that long standing about Christmas and how it is celebrated. Christmas, as a tradition, has been in flux for quite some time.

An obligatory story about holidays, religious themes and public schools

An interesting, if perhaps a little long, article in the Seattle Times about how public schools deal with the tensions associated with traditional religious themes and the holidays. The approaches seem to vary from embracing a diversity of traditions to simply downplaying any observance.

Poll Shows Race Distinctions in Black Community (NPR)

I came across this All Things Considered November 13th, 2007 story on the NPR.com site.   Pew Research Center’s latest polling of African-Americans shows that a small majority of blacks believe it is appropriate to think of blacks as a single race, because of the increasing diversity in their community. And few African-Americans feel that, as a group, they are better off than five years ago.  The page includes links to other related news and analysis.

Are Your Jeans Sagging? Go Directly to Jail.

Are Your Jeans Sagging? Go Directly to Jail.
By NIKO KOPPEL
Published: August 30, 2007
A hip-hop style helps bring a generation gap into full view.