This is regular feature over at my site, but since Amp is away, and I just started my new semester. I figured I would post it on Alas, so people over here can enjoy it too.
1. An essay on the culture of racism in American politics.
2. I’m Not Just Your Token Black Guy (great article by a college student challenging the “my black friend” argument)
3. Cornell student goes to prison for racist hate crime. The most pathetic part of the story is the non-apology, apology at the end. Here’s an excerpt:
“Let me assure you, your injury is not due to who you are, but who I had become due to my emotional state,” Joch recited from the letter. “I’m anything but a racist, but I acted like one that night.”
In the letter, Poffenbarger said he wasn’t aware he stabbed Holiday, and ran away because he saw blood on his knife.
“You were not a target of racism that night,” the letter said. Poffenbarger confesses to personal turmoil, writing that his world was spinning out of control. “My actions came from a blind urge to lash out at my own demons. I wish you a full recovery and a restored faith in the goodness of all people.”
There were at least 50 people in attendance the hearing, including Poffenbarger’s mother, uncle and Cornell students. Most of the courtroom spectators were people of color, and their solemnity and silence was palpable during the proceedings.
Joch appealed to the court for Poffenbarger’s safety in prison, saying that he would have to keep his conviction a secret and would need protective custody.“That means my client would have to be locked in a cage for 23 out of 24 hours per day for the duration of his sentence,” Joch said.
4. A parent wants to ban Huckleberry Finn from a high school’s reading list. This is an old argument; in fact, this book has been on the most banned list for years because it has the n-word. Personally, I’m against banning the book because the book itself has an anti-racist message, and it reflects an realistic portrait of that era. I think when evaluating this book people need to get beyond the n-word and analyze the message. The same arguments could be made for other racially themed anti-racist movies, books, etc.
5. Earl Ofari Hutchinson says there is not sufficient evidence to convict the Black teens accuse in the Long Beach racially motivated beating case.
6. Ann sent me this story. A mayor in Texas wants to ban the n-word by imposing fines for offensive uses of the n-word.
Brazoria Mayor Ken Corley wants offensive use of the “n-word” to be punishable by a fine of up to $500 in his town.
“It’s not a particular problem in Brazoria,” Corley said, “but it’s a national problem.”
Corley said he got the idea while watching two black ministers talking on television about how offensive that word is. “I just think it would be great if this little town of Brazoria, with 2,800 people, leads the way in fighting against this offensive language,” said Corley.
7. A group of college student athletes attacked several Palestinian students at Guilford College. I received an email from a reader about this one–Thanks James!
I did a twenty-page research paper on the idea of racism in Huck Fin my freshman year of college, and if I remember rightly, it’s been in the top ten most challenged books for the past fifty years. :)
Yeah, it stays on the top of the list.
I think objects of “my black friend” need to read “How to Rent a Negro”. Hell, it’s a funny book — everyone needs to read it.
But especially people who are someone elses “my black friend”.
Concerning the banning of Huckleberry Finn, I find it interesting that it was first challenged because it was too sympathetic to blacks. Now it is being challenged for being racist. I think Mark Twain would be amused.
That’s a good point Elaine, and it would be a good point for a teacher to include in a discussion of the book.