ERASE RACISM BLOG CARNIVAL - October 2007

Thank you bloggers for your submissions and please accept my apologies for being one week late on this post! Life got in the way this past week, and I didn’t want to give anybody’s article token treatment. In all, 20 submissions were received and all 20 were posted as I am a strong believer in the marketplace of free ideas – even if I find an idea highly objectionable. Unfortunately my posting these days on Kill Bigotry has waned as I have spent more time addressing social justice and my love of sports through COSELLOUT – a socially-conscious sports media watch blog. The 20 posts have been divided into 4 categories: 1) Our Criminal (in)justice System; 2) Quotes that Made you Run to your Computer; 3) A Trip around the Color Wheel; and 4) A History of Violence. Finally, although tedious, I thoroughly enjoyed the process of being informed and enlightened by so many of you. -- MODI


I. Our CRIMINAL (IN)JUSTICE SYSTEM:

Genarlow Wilson has been finally freed! But before you start celebrating…

A. Beyond Genarlow: Present Progressive Mood tells us about a 13-year old boy shot by a Seattle police officer and discusses the psychological “place of fear” where institutional racism often has its roots. Citing other examples including Jena’s Mychal Bell, she wonders when will this all end? According to Daisy’s Dead Air, it doesn’t seem to be any time soon. News of protests on the death of Richard Javis Johnson, 25, who died at the jail when he was found hanged by his long sleeved T-shirt less than one hour after he was booked. Jail Death Protests at Fountain Inn is the first of two deadly reminders of institutional racism in our justice system that includes “The Murder of Martin Anderson” the 14 year old boy in juvenile boot-camp who was basically “run to death” by those thinking he was feigning sickness. The post came before the final “not guilty” verdict which the author addresses in the comments section: “The jury that returned this verdict was all-white. Perhaps if he had looked like their own son, they would have returned a different verdict. Or, perhaps if they had learned to mistrust/question authority, as American people of color have, again, a different verdict.” In Overreaction to the Irate and the Clumsy by abyss2hope lets us know that the negligent response that was part of the Martin Anderson death is no isolated incident. She cites three different cases where being irate or non-compliant are leading to over-reactive responses not in line with the so-called “offense”. Cited examples include getting your wrist broken death for dropping some birthday cake, being tasered for speaking too long on a microphone, or even… death after becoming irate on an airplane. These are some of the consequences when misbehavior is treated like CRIMINAL behavior.


B. The Jena 6: For cave dwellers, let’s start with the recap by Alex Landis’ clear and concise breakdown in The Jena 6: 10 Reasons Why the Fit Hit the Shan. In “Being Reasonable is a Strategic Mistake” abyss2hope responds to some of the predictable reactions that occur anytime institutional racism dare be diagnosed. In the article titled “The REAL Racists in the Jena 6: Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson”. She offers a 25 point response to the twisted logic as well as other mind-blowing thinking that has the white-supremacist community renaming the Jena 6 “the Jena Hoax”. In Race in Mississippi: Beyond the Jena 6 – by “Consequences of Republicanism”. We are told that many Mississippians – both black and white-- have a brilliant strategy (sarcasm is mine) of dealing with The Jena 6 and all other race-related discussions: IGNORE IT. We are also given a window into a common mindset amongst Mississippians as the author’s colleague relays the following nugget: "every Mississippian knows how we are perceived by the rest of America. Mississippians are so tired of having to talk about race and of being stereotyped as a racist backwater." I always found “the fatigue excuse” extremely problematic. I myself am personally fatigued from talking about racism, sexism, homophobia domestic violence, substance abuse, and a host of other matters. But since they continue to be major unsolved issues, many continue to fight through the fatigue. But if I had to talk to the colleague who made the quote, I would suggest that if Mississippians do not want to be painted with any broad brushes as “racist” or “backwater”, then they probably shouldn’t have supported Trent Lott for Senator last year with a whopping 70% of their vote! In any case, this was a very interesting post, and apologies in advance for any over-editorializing!


C. Putting the Puzzle Together: Finally, in “Prevention or Correction?” Changeseeker from “Why Am I Not Surprised?” responds to sportswriter Jason Whitlock’s column on the Jena Six. But more importantly, she connects all the dots from the previous mentioned series of individual acts of criminal (in)justice of black men in America into the larger institutional and systemic problem that it is. Changeseeker writes:

“Young black men are the fodder for the cash cow that the prison industrial has become in this country. The Federal Bureau of Prisons alone is now the biggest industry in the U.S. and with the workers making pennies (sometimes literally), a magical mystery tour of capitalistic endeavor it has become. With three-fourths of those now "doing time" incarcerated for non-violent crimes or no crimes at all (such as drinking on probation), those who pay attention know how many of those young men have prepared for their fate and then helped to fulfill it just as the Jena 6 have."

For our part COSELLOUT has also written a complementary Jena 6 responses called “Whitlock-Gone-Wild” and UNEQUAL JUSTICE: It’s Bigger than Jena! A peek around the blogosphere will show that Mr. Whitlock inspired many more reactions than these few.


II. Quotes that Made You Run to Your Computer!!!:


A. On Race and Adoption: “Black children need black families–right now, Islington is looking for single people, couples, and families to care for children through adoption.”

The Response: The quote was found in a UK advertisement produced Race and Recruiting adoptive Families in the US and the UK Rachel from Rachel’s Tavern. Rachel gives her short-take on cross-racial adoption, and the article sheds great light (and supported by statistics )that on how “Black children are languishing in foster care, and in the hierarchy of adoption, they are often the kids least likely to be adopted.” This sad statement is oh so true. A follow-up article is promised on the why it is important to recruit black adoptive parents. We are looking forward to it. On a personal note, I have worked around the foster care system in various capacities for years and the removing of children of color given the very same treatment is a serious problem. This phenomena and how it could be improved upon is well-documented in this link by Casey Family Programs (note: 30 page study can be accessed in upper right hand corner).


B. On Multiculturalism: “We White Christians need to stick together. Multiculturalism is destroying America.”

The Response: It is was this quote from a radio talk show host that inspired the post Multicultural America from “My Sky - Multiracial Family Life”. Rather than harping on the obvious about this quote, it is used to remind us all that multi-culturalism in America is nothing new: “The concept that there is a homogeneous “American Culture” is absurd. …Again: American culture is multicultural. Our multiculturalism may be the defining element of our culture.”


C. On Race & Russian Nationalism: "Looking at our teams, one cannot immediately understand whether those are ours, or a team from Africa."

The Response: This quote by none other than President Vladimir Putin inspired “Fear of a Black Russia” by “Moscow through Brown Eyes”. Putin’s sentiment, some interesting comments on hip-hop producer Timbaland, and news of an increase of racially motivated murders has the author wondering if Russia is experiencing an increase in bigotry.


D. On White Supremacist Pseudo-Science: Dr. Watson states that he is: “inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa” because “all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours – whereas all the testing says not really”.

The Response: “Watson’s Lecture Cancelled” in the science-minded blog “Evolution- It’s Not Just a Theory Anymore” discusses James Watson being disinvited to speak at the London Science Museum on account of his most recently alleged racist remarks. The author explains that such remarks are nothing new and spends most of the article drawing parallels between his racist pseudo-science and that of J. Phillipe Rushton, The Bell Curve, and other “bogus” “studies” from highly conservative organizations with a history of supporting racist doctrine. He writes in embedded link: “I assert, here and now, that Dr. Watson’s remarks indicate that he is of substandard intelligence. I say this because he must know better … he is a scientist who has worked in ancillary areas, and there is simply no way that he is not familiar with the relevant scientific literature. Therefore, he must be stupid. At least, that is what the empirical evidence strongly suggests at this point.”


III. A Trip Around The Color Wheel

A. Seeing Red: In A Different Red-Baiting Hits the Shelves, “Moscow Through Brown Eyes” brings us a review of Scalped, a serialized graphic novel by writer Jason Aaron and artist R. M. Guera, which takes the offspring of 1960s—both biological and political—as its central theme. Check it out as the author attempts to decipher what is fact and what is fiction about life on the reservation. Since pop-culture and “rez life” is the subject, I thought that it might be a good time to slip in the Feelin’ Reserved video by Canada’s hip hop group War Party. In other Native American matters Kit Kat’s Critique “wants to push Congress, and push it hard, to enact a law that would overturn Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe” and then asks the question: “Who is with me?” Check out this post to learn more about this issue and what you can do.


B. Brown Paper Bag Test Evolved: Reality Check brings us “Race Matters” but could have just as easily titled it the more nuanced “skin shade matters”. Although the “brown paper bag test” is no longer in vogue as it once was, the post cites this recent short article at nytimes.com about “a recent study which showed that a primary factor in income for immigrants was the amount of melanin in one’s skin.” The study concludes that “one shade lighter in skin tone has about the same impact “as having an additional year of education.” Very interesting article.


C. White and Green: In The Color of Money: How White becomes Green in the Workplace, Blaxplanation, through both research and corroborating personal experiences, tackles racial and gender disparities in the workplace. The more nuanced, but still more impactful forms of discrimination are addressed. It is pointed out that employers (most often white) simply like to hire more people that they feel comfortable around. Another Conflict Theorist tells us that: “At any rate, I can't imagine how it must be for people who've worked hard their entire lives, crossed all the Ts and dotted all the Is and positioned themselves for a promotion only to be repeatedly denied simply because their supervisors are more comfortable with a Sharon than they are a Shaniqua.” The bottom line is 80% of all jobs do not come through a “meritocracy” but through “networking”. And a post like this really hits you in the head when you realize that former horse commissioner Mike Brown got the very top post at FEMA appointed by a president who rode his father’s name to power. Not everyone understand exactly how employment discrimination works, but all those who suffer at home because of our non-response to Katrina and suffer abroad because our ill-response to Iraq understand all too well.


D. Black and Angry: In Clarence Thomas: An Angry Black Man, author John Swift provides an analysis that truly tested the moral fiber of my commitment to free speech and denunciation of censorship. Amongst other things the author likes Clarence Thomas’s politics, but perceived Thomas as “An Angry Black Man” through his recent 60 Minutes interview and other media outlets. I also saw the same 60 minutes interview, but found myself disgusted for entirely different reasons. But the irony is that through Mr. Swift’s denunciation of Thomas, he became the first person in the universe who actually put me in a position to DEFEND Clarence Thomas – at least within the framework of his specific “angry black man” point. I should let it be known that I find few Americans more destructive to our country than Clarence Thomas. Beyond the “angry black man” point of departure, I found that the points of vehement disagreement with this article were far too numerous and go far too deep to mention. There simply couldn’t be that much of a wider chasm. On the positive side, it gave me a crystal-clear reminder of why I blog so much about matters dealing with race.


IV. A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE:

Last 30 Years: Stephanie’s Journal provides us with a 4 part history of crimes against black women and how they were handled, or better put, ignored by the police and mainstream media. In depth analysis is provided of “The Boston Murders” of 1978-79, the Eleanor Bumpers case of 1984, and both “The Southside Murders” and the “Henry Louis Wallace Case” of the early 1990’s. The 4 accounts hammer home a very clear point: To the police, to our media, and to our society the value placed on the lives… and death’s of African-American women is simply not that high. So how much has changed since way back then? Well, if you haven’t heard any media attention about the gruesome Megan Williams case last month (note: Protest march scheduled for November 3rd), then not so much. Stephanie explains about the Southside Murders: “But there’s little argument that those 15 deaths would have been global news had the women been from Santa Monica or Silver Lake.” One could even argue that if 15 dogs were killed by a popular athlete, there would be more media attention and outrage.

Last 200 Years: Before closing we will go deep into history with this following biography of the infamous John Brown by Daisy’s Dead Air. We probably come full circle with our first batch of posts in that DDA reminds us that today’s justice system does not operate in a historical vacuum. I thought that John Brown’s last words before his execution which were printed in the article are worth another look:

“I have, may it please the Court, a few words to say. In the first place, I deny everything but what I have all along admitted: of a design on my part to free slaves . . . Had I interfered in the matter which I admit, and which I admit has been fairly proved . . . had I so interfered in behalf of the rich, the powerful, the intelligent, or the so-called great . . . and suffered and sacrificed, what I have in this interference, it would have been all right. Every man in this Court would have deemed it an act worthy of reward rather than punishment. I see a book kissed which I suppose to be the Bible, or at least the New Testament, which teaches me that all things whatsoever I would that men should do unto me, I should do even so to them. It teaches me further to remember them that are in bonds as bound with them. I endeavored to act up to that instruction. I say that I am yet too young to understand that God is any respecter of persons. I believe that to have interfered as I have done, as I have always freely admitted I have done in behalf of His despised poor, I did no wrong, but right. Now if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked,cruel and unjust enactments, I say, let it be done.”

As I was reading more of this informative piece, all I kept thinking was, how has there never been a motion picture on this man’s life!!! This was also my sentiment when I personally wrote “History’s Hit Job on Thomas Paine” (the only founding father to unequivocally denounce slavery without personal hypocrisy). What does it say that in 2007, we continue to glorify slaveholders of times past, but routinely ignore or bury the legacy of those whites who most fiercely resisted that “peculiar institution”. The post also provides additional links on John Brown, and those interested further may want to check out the book: John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights.


V. And We Close: I thought Government Secret’s “Promoting Anti-Racism” would be a good post to close with since that is the common bond that unites all anti-racist bloggers. The short post is reprinted in its entirety: “Don't be afraid to ask others outside you to help and don't avoid recruiting people whom you don't normally think of as antiracist types. You need to express your opinion in a public way, like buying antiracism items at One Race Human, and this will influence others in expressing like you. Take initiative at the individual level. Most of the time, someone just needs to step up to the plate and swing the bat to get things moving. Sometimes people just need to see someone else doing something to promote antiracism to realize how much pluralism needs to be addressed in a community.”


"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference." -- Elie Wiesel