tagged w/ African-American
-
by BAR managing editor Bruce A. Dixon
Next week will mark the third anniversary of Barack Obama's inauguration, and the unveiling of his fourth budget. Already White House spokespeople admit that it will be bad news for black and poor Americans. In three years this president has investigated and prosecuted not a single Wall Street banker or institution, not held up the wave of foreclosures a single week, not addressed the issues of black unemployment or black mass incarceration. But black America has silenced itself to protect the career of the First Black President.
Three years later, it's clear that this is indeed a new day, a new era. But for most of black America, it's not the one they hoped for. Nobody expected urban poverty would begin to vanish overnight, or that millions of acres of lost black farmland would be restored. But promises were made, and expectations were justifiably high, not because Barack Obama had promised to investigate Wall Street, prosecute banksters, or stop the imperial wars and illegal foreclosures, but because humans do have the right to expect justice at home and peace abroad, whether their leaders deliver these things or not.by BAR managing editor Bruce A. Dixon
Next week will mark the third anniversary of... more
-
-
It's fascinating to watch the long knives coming out for Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul, now that according to some mainstream polls he has become the front-running candidate in the Jan. 3 GOP caucus race in Iowa, and perhaps also in the first primary campaign in New Hampshire.
What's interesting is what he's being attacked for: being a racist, being "anti-Israel" and being an isolationist.
The racist bit is funny. After all, if we're honest, the whole political infrastructure of the US is riven with racism. Just check out the public schools in any urban area, where you'll find most of the students are non-white, or check out the schools in rural parts of the southeast in areas where most of the students are black -- compare the condition of those schools and the class sizes to schools in the white neighborhoods. Check out the wildly different jobless figures for whites and for blacks. Check out the (very pale) complexion of the student bodies at just about any state university, check out the skin tones of the judges on the US Supreme Court, or for that matter, the whole federal bench. Check out the racial breakdown of the nation's jails, and especially on the country's many death rows, where you'll find a wildly outsized percentage of people with black or brown skin waiting to be killed by the state.
Being a racist is clearly no disqualifier for national political office. It's just that you are not supposed to say overtly racist things, at least in public. It's fine to pass laws and push for enforcement actions and "tough" judges that end up putting most young African-American males in prison at some point in their lives. It's okay to promote a "War" on drugs that ends up creating a whole new slavery in the form of black men locked up in for-profit prisons. It's okay to shortchange minority school districts. You just aren't supposed to say you're doing these things on purpose...It's fascinating to watch the long knives coming out for Texas Republican Rep.... more
-
-
“Losers” is a new, emotionally touching two-minute short film by Everynone, with brilliant sound design and an ethereal score by Keith Kenniff. “Losers” is an anti-bullying film that not only effectively conveys its message, but is visually stimulating as well. The film brings you face to face with how racial slurs, anti-gay taunts, and other insults and actions can hurt others.
This piece includes photographs and the short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/losers-walking-through-a-world-of-insults/“Losers” is a new, emotionally touching two-minute short film by... more
-
-
Seven weeks after Bachmann's campaign announcement, an African-American teenager was beaten to death. Marcellus Richard Andrews was gay and it cost him his life in Michele Bachmann’s hometown.Seven weeks after Bachmann's campaign announcement, an African-American teenager... more
-
-
Cabal
-
added this
-
6 months ago
- |
-
As members of Congress roll out a host of anti-abortion legislation, African Americans on both sides of the debate say it's time to look beyond the old concepts of pro-choice and pro-life.
Looking Beyond Life and Choice
Pro-lifers are hoping that African Americans will take up their side of the battle. According to a 2009 Pew Research Center survey (pdf), 40 percent of African Americans believe that abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. From former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum expressing amazement in January that a black man (President Barack Obama) could ever be pro-choice, to billboard campaigns that liken abortion to black genocide, African Americans are now positioned at the center of the rekindled debate.
"What baffles me is how many political progressives will look at every institution in America and say there's racism in it, but somehow when it comes to the abortion industry, racism doesn't exist," Bomberger told The Root, "even though the entire history is predicated on the horrific pseudoscience that believes only certain people are fit to live."
Bomberger is further frustrated by the pro-life movement being portrayed as consisting entirely of the white religious right. "The annual March for Life in D.C. is the most multiracial coalition that I have ever seen, with hundreds of thousands of Hispanic, black, white and Asian people. Of course, it's also the most ignored," he said. "The whole argument that white conservative people don't care about black people is so tired. What is worse: white conservative people who want to save black lives, or white liberal people who want to fund the killing of black lives?"
African Americans on the other side of the debate, meanwhile, remain unconvinced that, for example, conservative members of Congress pushing to restrict abortion have black interests in mind. "They say they're concerned about the black race but then don't support black children once they're here," says Loretta Ross, national coordinator of SisterSong, an Atlanta-based reproductive-justice group for women of color, who argues that the same conservative lawmakers ignore economic and educational inequalities.
"In our own collective history, black women know what it feels like when someone else controls our bodies and makes decisions for us," Ross continued in an interview with The Root. "We're fighting fiercely for our rights to be seen as adult human beings capable of making decisions for ourselves about these things. We know what happens when you become breeders for somebody else's cause. Even as strong as our religious feelings are, we don't play that."
Gaining Steam on Capitol Hill
Regardless of the debate among African Americans, members of Congress -- and not just Republicans -- are forging ahead with efforts to restrict funding and access for abortion. Ten House Democrats are among the 173 co-sponsors of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, striking a blow to the claim that abortion bills have no chance of passing the Democratic-held Senate.
http://www.theroot.com/views/beyond-same-old-abortion-debate?page=0,0As members of Congress roll out a host of anti-abortion legislation, African Americans... more
-
-
bambuu
-
added this
-
12 months ago
- |
-
In 1998, the small East Texas town of Jasper was shaken by the brutal, racially motivated killing of a forty-nine-year old African American named James Byrd Jr. The international coverage of that traumatic race-crime did not, for the most part, reveal the stark past and complicated social life of this historically segregated community. For example, little notice was paid to the photographs of Alonzo Jordan (1903-1984), a local photographer who had made Byrd’s high school graduation portrait, and who had worked for more than forty years to document African Americans in Jasper and in the surrounding rural areas. Jordan’s photographs are the subject of an exhibition, “Jasper, Texas: The Community Photographs of Alonzo Jordan,” presently on view at The International Center of Photography in New York City.
Like many small-town photographers, Alonzo Jordan fulfilled various roles in the community. A barber by trade, Alonzo Jordan was also a Prince Hall Mason, a deacon in his church, an educator and a local leader, who took up photography to fill a social need he recognized. Over the years, he documented the everyday world of black East Texas, especially the civic events and social rituals that were integral to the daily life of the people he served. In addition to revealing the African American culture of Jasper during the Civil Rights era, this exhibition challenges the existing formalistic approaches to the study of vernacular photography. It considers Jordan’s distinguished career as a “community photographer.”
In communities across the nation, photographs of this kind have been proudly displayed for decades in people’s homes, local churches, businesses, civic buildings and schools, because they document groups and individuals who are held in high esteem. Frequently, the photographer is not identified or credited, because the emphasis is upon the family, social and professional groups, and the recognition of the community infrastructure.
This piece includes a number of high-resolution black-and-white vintage photographs, a slide show and a documentary short film about the life of James Byrd Jr.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2011/02/12/jasper-texas-the-hidden-half-of-a-small-texas-town/In 1998, the small East Texas town of Jasper was shaken by the brutal, racially... more
-
-
-
's who are honest with themselves have to admit that there are things in their past, that don't make them look too good, at the end of the day.'s who are honest with themselves have to admit that there are things in their... more
-
-
many of us know people who just can't seem to say no? I mean even when it's obvious to the world "that NO would have been the best answer." Some of us have family members like thismany of us know people who just can't seem to say no? I mean even when it's... more
-
-
by Getty Images via @daylife/ In your opinion, who is a joke in the eyes of Jesus?
-
-
(Love songs for the heart).
-
-
My latest NYJB review is of an epic work of poetry and great humanity that may appeal to history buffs as well as poetry readers.My latest NYJB review is of an epic work of poetry and great humanity that may appeal... more
-
-
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) was one of the most visible advocates of nonviolence and direct action as methods of social change. Dr. King initially gained national prominence for his role in the Montgomery bus boycott campaign, as well as in the Birmingham demonstrations that led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964; the Presidential Medal of Freedom was awarded to Dr. King by President Jimmy Carter in 1964.
In late 1967, King initiated the Poor People’s Campaign, which was designed to confront economic problems that had not been addressed by earlier civil rights reforms. The following year, while supporting striking sanitation workers in Memphis, he delivered his final address, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” The following day, April 4, 1968, Dr. King was assassinated.
This commemorative piece includes a number of high-resolution vintage photographs, as well as two memorable documentary short films.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/a-tribute-to-dr-martin-luther-king-and-the-civil-rights-movement/Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) was one of the most visible advocates of... more
-
-
Oldest African-American dies at 113
By Phil Gast, CNN
January 15, 2011 7:42 p.m. EST
Mississippi Winn, who died Friday in Shreveport, Louisiana, never married and lived independently until 103.
(CNN) -- Mississippi Winn didn't get caught up in the amazing statistics that accompanied someone her age.
Only 1 in 5 million people in the industrialized world live to be 110. About 60 people that age live in the United States, with another 300 or so scattered around the globe. Nine of 10 are women.
Winn was believed to be the oldest living African-American when she died Friday afternoon in Shreveport, Louisiana, at 113.
Investigator Milton Carroll of the Caddo Parish Coroner's Office said he was not permitted to disclose a cause of death, but a relative said Winn -- who was nicknamed "Sweetie" -- had been in declining health since last autumn.
Robert Young, a senior claims researcher with the Gerontology Research Group and a senior consultant for Guinness World Records, visited Winn at Magnolia Manor Nursing Home in July 2010.
"She looked to be in very good shape," he said Saturday. "It was a surprise she went downhill so fast."
Young believes Winn's parents were born into slavery. Her father was born in 1844 and her mother in 1860.
But Winn "never discussed it," said her great-niece Mary C. Hollins of Shreveport. "She would say, 'I don't know about that.'"
Winn, who did not marry and lived independently until 103, appears to have lived a life that made her especially well-qualified for the elite club of supercentenarians -- those who live to be 110 or older.
"She had always been kind to others," Hollins said on Saturday. "She was always respectful."
Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover said the city has honored several centenarians.
"We have declared March 31 as Ms. Mississippi Winn Day since her 110th birthday," he wrote in an e-mail.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Miss Winn's family, relatives, her beloved Pastor Clarence Hicks and her church family and friends who all loved and cherished her," he said.
The secret to living to and past 110, besides not having an unhealthy weight, said Young, is a positive attitude and emotional and physical stability. Most supercentenarians take little medication during their lives, he said.
"They do things in moderation," he said. "They don't get upset."
Most were still walking at age 105, he added.
Born in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, on March 31, 1897, Winn moved with her family to Shreveport after her father died in 1908.
One of 15 children, eight of whom lived to adulthood, Winn had a sister who lived to be 100 and a brother who lived to 95.
She worked as a domestic, cooking and helping families raise children.
She worked in Kansas City for a time and lived in Seattle, Washington, from 1957 to 1975, helping to raise three boys, before returning to Louisiana. Winn had a child who died at age 2, Hollins said.
Before she moved to the nursing home, Winn lived on her own, doing her own laundry and walking around a track for exercise. She never learned to drive. Instead, she got rides or took a bus to the grocery store.
She liked bingo and sewing and loved to cook vegetables and stewed chicken. Said Hollins: "She didn't make much over modern things."
Winn was clear about what she liked.
"She was a disciplinarian," said Hollins. Right or wrong, it was her way."
A member of Avenue Baptist Church, Winn received visits from church members and was able to attend a service on August 29. The chuch will hold her funeral next Saturday.
She outlived many of her church friends.
"When each one passed I could see part of her leaving with them," said Hollins, whose grandmother was Winn's sister.
In time, Winn came to enjoy the attention paid to her age.
But she remained even-keeled, said Hollins, recalling what her great-aunt would say.
"I'm just going to stay here until he's ready for me."
The oldest known African-American is now Mamie Rearden of Edgefield, South Carolina, who is 112.
The world's oldest known living person is Eunice Sanborn, 114, of Jacksonville, Texas, according to Young.Oldest African-American dies at 113
By Phil Gast, CNN
January 15, 2011 7:42 p.m.... more
-
-
Japheth.
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, [3] for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy themJapheth.
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled... more
-
-
women today are skeptical about whether or not they will ever have the opportunity to experience marriage within their life time. Because of this, some women tend to gravitate toward anything wearing pants, in hopes of positioning themselves for marriage.women today are skeptical about whether or not they will ever have the opportunity to... more
-
-
In 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, with the Harlem Community Choir, recorded their message against war as a peace anthem, a song that has also become a Christmas standard: “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” According to the John Lennon Museum, Lennon wrote the song as an attempt to get people to see war at a grassroots level and for them to take responsibility for the world around them.
So this is now the beginning of the Christmas season. And what have you done? The opening lines of the song, sung so nonchalantly by Lennon, serve as a call-to-action for us all. The holidays become critical moments in the year for personal assessments, to review our choices. And to make things better. If you want it.
This piece includes a number of high-resolution photographs, as well as the classic Christmas music video.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2010/12/08/john-lennon-happy-xmas-war-is-over/In 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, with the Harlem Community Choir, recorded their... more
-
-
“The Harlem Album: A Century in Images” is a remarkable collection of photographs curated by Thelma Golden at the Studio Museum in Harlem. Home to writers and revolutionaries, artists and musicians, Harlem has also long been a source of inspiration for countless photographers. The selection of images provided here includes photography by James Van Der Zee, Gordon Parks, Dawoud Bey and Kenneth Nelson, with photographs that reveal a broad and beautiful new visual survey of the neighborhood.
“The choices in this collection were all about offering a wide variety of ways of looking and seeing and thinking,” says Studio Museum Curator Golden. Even when it comes to some of Harlem’s legendary icons, the variety of photographs is telling. There are the pictures of Malcolm X addressing a crowd, but also intimate scenes in which Diana Ross and James Brown shed their public masks. Joe Louis, surrounded by cheering locals, peers coolly at the camera. And Langston Hughes stands, appropriately, on his own stoop, an architectural feature that serves as a “site of memory” in many Harlem photographs. In a neighborhood that has symbolized so much, to people all around the world, the stoop was also a kind of threshold: between home and the larger world.
This piece includes a number of high-resolution vintage photographs, a memorable slide show and three documentary short films.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/the-harlem-album-a-century-in-images/“The Harlem Album: A Century in Images” is a remarkable collection of... more
-
-
“Documentary Photography: Engaged Observers” is a collection of photographs by photographers who created extended photographic essays that delved deeply into topics of social concern and presented distinct personal visions of the world. Following in the tradition of Walker Evans and other Depression-era photographers, this series of focuses on the tradition of socially engaged photographic essays since the 1960s. “Engaged Observers” includes photographs from the following projects: “The Mennonites” by Larry Towell, “Streetwise” by Mary Ellen Mark, “Black in White America” by Leonard Freed, “Vietnam Inc.” by Philip Jones Griffiths, “The Sacrifice” by James Nachtwey and “Migrations: Humanity in Transition” by Sebastião Salgado.
This piece includes a number of high resolution photographs, a remarkable slide show and three documentary short films.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/photos-of-the-day-engaged-observers/“Documentary Photography: Engaged Observers” is a collection of... more
-
-
Brett and Ellen review "For Colored Girls," filmmaker Tyler Perry's adaptation of a lauded 1975 play starring Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Thandie Newton and Phylicia Rashad as an interrelated group of women in Harlem. Neither Brett nor Ellen have much love for this high profile project.
infoMania is a half-hour satirical news show that airs on Current TV. The show puts a comedic spin on the 24-hour chaos and information overload brought about by the constant bombardment of the media. Hosted by Conor Knighton and co-starring Brett Erlich, Erin Gibson, Ben Hoffman, Bryan Safi, Ellen Fox, and Sergio Cilli, the show airs on Thursdays at 11/10c on Current TV.
infoMania is a half-hour satirical news show that airs on Current TV. The show puts a comedic spin on the 24-hour chaos and information overload brought about by the constant bombardment of the media. Hosted by Conor Knighton and co-starring Brett Erlich, Erin Gibson, Ben Hoffman, Bryan Safi and Sergio Cilli, the show airs on Thursdays at 11/10c on Current TV.
Go to http://current.com/infomania for more, and make sure to check out our Facebook profile for special features at http://facebook.com/infomania.Brett and Ellen review "For Colored Girls," filmmaker Tyler Perry's... more
-
