The Struggle: Race, Power & Privilege
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What did you learn this week that you didn't know before, sincerely? 1. I learned that Malay is among the top ten in a list of the languages most widely spoken around the world. Sadly, not only did I not know it was spoken by so many people (approximately 281 million), I had actually never … Continue reading What Did You Learn This Week That You Didn’t Know Before?
When I was 8 years old, my family moved from the all black Southside of Chicago to the all white South Suburbs. At age 8 I could not distinguish the difference between black and white. I had 1 or 2 white teachers at my school, but because of the vast variety in shades of black, I assumed these … Continue reading Perspectives On Race #1
De jure segregation is deliberate, willful, race-based separation engineered by law (i.e. by legislation or state officials). De facto segregation is race-based separation "by fact," but it's not orchestrated by legislation. The literal definition is "in fact" or "in effect." It is presumably innocuous, race-based separation resulting from everyday policies or processes. De facto segregation … Continue reading We Need To Have A Conversation About Race. Even if the conversation is futile (Part 3 of 6).
It started with flyers. Flyers that were advertised primarily to poor African-American men and were promoted in black neighborhoods. By the time the experiment ended in 1972, 28 men had died of syphilis, 100 had died of directly related complications; at least 40 wives had contracted it, and 19 children were born with it. It … Continue reading We Need To Have A Conversation About Race: Ain’t Gone Hurt Nobody (Part 2 of 6)
I was the odd man out at the staff holiday party, so I meandered over to the food table. I wasn’t full-time yet, so I wasn’t sure whether I was welcome. I’d made that mistake once before and wouldn’t dare repeat it. I looked around awkwardly for someone to talk to. Someone witty, or someone … Continue reading We Need To Have A Conversation About Race. Here, I’ll Go First (Part 1 of 6).
My 3rd graders were really impressed that I'd heard of this guy called "Michael Jackson." They kept shouting out random songs and phrases to make sure I knew. "There's this one song called Thriller that's really cool! And there's this dance that goes with it, but you have to make yourself look kind of like … Continue reading I Shoulda Been A D.J. (Songs In The Key of Life)
I don’t want to live a life characterized by anger. It’s why I write, why I move, why I leave. It’s why I value reconciliation, resolution, and reflection. It’s why I don’t watch movies with Kirsten Dunst, Nicolas Cage, or Angelina Jolie: I don’t want to live a life characterized by anger. For the last … Continue reading Fifty Quotes That Changed My Life
