Holders Cowards Comments Examined : NPR

There’s a bunch of commentary out there regarding Attorney General Holder’s Black History Month comments.  I thought this particular exchange on NPR between Joe Klein and Michael Eric Dyson was an interesting microcosm of the problems that come with discussing race.

NYTIMES: Report Takes Aim at ‘Model Minority’ Stereotype of Asian-American Students

Education

Report Takes Aim at ‘Model Minority’ Stereotype of Asian-American Students By TAMAR LEWIN

Published: June 10, 2008

The image of Asian-Americans as a homogeneous group of high achievers taking over the campuses of the nation’s most selective colleges came under assault in a report.

‘Black Guy’ booth livens up Corvallis Saturday market

Semi-interesting tidbit.  It does convey the sense that it is a rather white town. 

Newsweek: How Our Unconscious Votes

In this article, Sharon Begley discusses conscious and unconscious bias and racism and how it affects voters. Counter-intuitively, perhaps, she suggests that the Obama camp should be talking up the issue of race and simultaneously finding points of similarity with the voting public in order to counteract latent racist attitudes. She also brings up the finding that conservatives are generally happier than liberals.

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?  

Civil rights coalition: Delta needs to boost diversity

An example of the scrutiny that high-visibility companies are under and the public pressure that can be generated.

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.

Racist incidents give some Obama campaigners pause

This article in the AJC is originally from the Washington Post.   Young, idealistic, and enthusiastic campaigners for Obama are coming across blunt examples of retrograde racist attitudes and behaviors.   Interestingly, the Obama campaign is very much interested, apparently, in downplaying any and all incidents.

Morehouse valedictorian stands out — he’s white

I liked this AJC story about Joshua Packwood being the 1st white valedictorian of Morehouse because it works as a mirror.   What one sees in the story is likely a reflection of one’s attitudes and philosophy.

Buried Prejudice: The Bigot in Your Brain

Scientific American – Buried Prejudice: The Bigot in Your Brain By Siri Carpenter
Deep within our subconscious, all of us harbor biases that we consciously abhor. And the worst part is: we act on them