"Safe Streets Turns 25, Looks to Next Quarter Century"

Wow! Twenty-five years already!?!

"The Rape of Harriet Tubman"

Personally, I've always been most interested in issues of race and peoples of the 20th century. As such, though I know a bit about Harriet Tubman, and respect her greatly, I don't know that much about her. And this article sparked in me a desire to know more.

It's not necessarily even about Harriet Tubman so much as it is an assessment of how people and history are discussed. But I think it makes several helpful points about rape culture and historical claims.

[http://www.racialicious.com/2013/08/20/the-rape-of-harriet-tubman/]

Baratunde: Unplug

One of the bloggers I follow linked to this article today: "#Unplug: Baratunde Thurston Left The Internet For 25 Days, And You Should Too". I don't know what prompted me to click on it... unplugging isn't necessarily something I'm interested in enough to read about. But. I'm so glad I did. I have, very quickly, come to love the author, Baratunde Thurston.

In my small pockets of reading time today (=nursing), I read as much by Baratunde as I could. Like his article "#Unplug" (and his hilarious Twilight coverage!). I found so many quotes in this article that I appreciated for one reason or another. I should probably preface each of the following quotes I pulled from the article, but that'd take too much time right now (and I'd rather go read more of his articles, etc.)

Physically, mentally, digitally, I refused to stay still.

I had begun to resent the emails and the mobile notifications, the many ways that an odd and wide assortment of people dared to enter my life.

I just wanted to be mentally free of obligations, most of which asserted themselves in some digital fashion.

Call me self-employed, call me an artist, call me Supreme Allied Commander of My Multi-Hyphenate Life; they all translate to “working all the time.”

I would not generate any activity whatsoever on any social network whatsoever, including, but not limited to, seeing, reading, downloading, syncing, sending, submitting, posting, pinning, sharing, uploading, updating, commenting, tagging, rating, liking, loving, upvoting, starring, favoriting, bookmarking, plus-oneing, or re-anythinging.

The more I tried to control these data streams, the more I realized that everything is too integrated.

I was stunned at the cumulative level of noise I had embraced and frustrated at how difficult it was to silence. Had I really granted all of this?

Since I couldn’t query my online network for local dining and culture options, my massage therapist became my recommendation engine. She told me of several restaurants and sites to check out. She transmitted this data by writing down the names on a piece of paper.

By the end of that first week, the quiet rhythm of my days seemed far less strange. I was less stressed about not knowing new things; I felt that I still existed despite not having shared documentary evidence of said existence on the Internet.

I stopped consciously thinking about the experiment and just started living it. I was reading long books, engaging in meaningful conversations, and allowing my mind to wander and make passive connections I had previously short-circuited with social queries, responses, interruptions, and steady documenting and sharing of unripened experiences.

One major feature of industrialization was the adoption of leisure time for those of us not among the leisure class. Yet one major feature of the Networked Age is our de-created ability to disengage. Will the concept of downtime have been a temporary blip in the history of civilization?

[http://www.fastcompany.com/3012521/unplug/baratunde-thurston-leaves-the-internet?]

"Evolution of a Feminist Daughter "

This article, "Evolution of a Feminist Daughter" was published a number of years ago by Rebecca Walker. I remember reading it back then, perhaps in particular because I'd recently read The Color Purple and was interested in Alice Walker. (Actually, that may even be the reason I found the article in the first place...)

But it floated up again and I once again found it fascinating. So, if you haven't read enough articles regarding feminism, motherhood, racism, gender, etc., here's another that I consider a "must read":

“Mine is the first generation of women to grow up thinking of children as optional,” Ms. Walker writes in the new book. “We learned that children were not to be pursued at the expense of anything else. A graduate degree in economics, for example, or a life of renunciation, devoted to a Hindu mystic.” 

Children, she writes, “smelled of betrayal and a lack of appreciation for the progress made on behalf of women’s liberation.”

[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/fashion/18walker.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all&]

"Being Black, Feminist, Thoroughly Girly, and Conflicted"

Fascinating:

Things that might seem outdated for popular feminism may actually be points of pride for women who have historically been denied access to a certain mode of femininity. If you are a member of a group of women that has been constantly caricatured as mammies and welfare queens, sexually pathologized, and whose inequity has been attributed to broken, abnormal, and matriarchal family structures, then bearing the title of Mrs. and taking your husband’s last name can actually be displays of resistance. If you have grown up seeing constant media reports on the fatherlessness of Black children and the unmarriageability of Black women, then having your father walk you down the aisle and flashing your ring can both be points of pride.

[http://apracticalwedding.com/2013/05/black-feminist-wedding-planning]

Vincent Chin

Vincent Chin was bludgeoned to death in 1982 Detroit. A second generation Chinese American, Chin was singled out and blamed for Japan's successful auto industry: “It’s because of you we’re out of work,” two ex-Chrysler employees shouted as they cracked his head open with a baseball bat.

Admittedly, my study of Asian history/culture is shamefully lacking. My attention was primarily captured by this story because it was referenced as a having a impact on Americans similar to Emmett Till's murder (14 year old Till was killed in 1955 for speaking to a white woman and the photos of his brutalized body were a motivating factor in beginning the classical African American civil rights movement).

A New York Times article captured the response to Chin's murder:

The killing catalyzed political activity among Asian-Americans — whose numbers had steadily increased since the 1965 overhaul of immigration laws but who then represented only about 1.5 percent of the population — as never before. “Remember Vincent Chin” turned into a rallying cry; for the first time, Asian-Americans of every background angrily protested in cities across the country. For all that Asians had been through — racial exclusion, starting with a ban on Chinese migrant labor in 1882; the unconstitutional detention of Japanese-Americans during World War II; the legacy of America’s wars in the Philippines, Korea and Vietnam — no single episode involving an individual Asian-American had ever had such an effect before. And none has since.

I definitely am interested in watching these two documentaries Who Killed Vincent Chin? and Vincent Who?. I guess I'm particularly interested in how this incident was "used" in ensuing civil rights activism.

"[Help] the Police"

Seth and I both thought Adam Buxton's "Help the Police" was hilarious! We couldn't stop laughing.

Compared to the original lyrics, it's even funnier:

N.W.A's 1988 "Fuck the Police" (1988)

But don't let it be a black and a white one
'Cause they'll slam ya down to the street top
Black police showing out for the white cop

"Help the Police"
But don't let it be a black and a white one
'Cause they'll tickle you until you're giggling
Black police having fun with the white cop

{Also, when I Googled the title of this song in order to find the parody again, I found this"pseudo-archaic English translation" by Joseph Ducreux: "Fornicate the constabulary/From directly within the firmament." Wow.}

Tacoma Gang Assessment

"Tacoma Gang Assessment" 

by the City of Tacoma

STUDY RESULTS!!!

"Was Money Spent on Tacoma's Gang Assessment Wasted? Or Necessary?" on Exit133.org

"Tacoma Gang Assessment: Study Results Are Just the Beginning" on Exit133.org

More on Racism

"Black or White: Kids on Race" on CNN






"It's Easy to Call John Derbyshire a Racist" on Womanist Musings

To bring up the systemic ways in which racism effects the lives of people of colour is deemed racist because interjects the much taboo subject of race into a conversation. 

"The Racial War is Heating Up" on Time Magazine

The anxiety about Obama’s success has led to many reactions, most of them not physical but still emotionally violent. I sense a widespread anger with the continued discussion of race, as if Obama’s election should have ended the conversation forever, so why are you still talking about it? I see anger toward those who bring it up in media, as if talking about racism is the problem as opposed to racism being the problem.

"The Elephant in the Room at T4G" by David Murray

In one way I’m very reluctant to raise the question because I’ve discovered to my cost that it’s almost impossible to question or comment about anything race-related in the USA without being accused of being a racist! I’ve waited to see if some of the more culturally sensitive commentators/bloggers would address this “elephant in the room.” So far, silence.

So let me break the silence by saying that I was hugely disappointed by the largely mono-cultural make-up of T4G (the few non-WASPS I did get to speak to were from outside of the USA!). Others, quietly, said the same to me.

"Where Were All the African Americans?" by Thabiti Anayabwile

The Reformed world is small and the African-American Reformed even smaller. Perhaps this is what seems “off” about the post to me. On a percentage basis, I wouldn’t be all that concerned even though I’d love all my kinsmen according to the flesh to adopt this robust, God-exalting, and biblical theological world and life view.

Sproul and MacArthur are the human means the Lord used to introduce many of us to Reformed theology... We were without the two Christian radio ministry leaders that many African Americans would know. There’s far less familiarity with the rest of us as speakers.

The greatest ability to strengthen and diversify friendship in the gospel probably comes not from the speaker panel’s ethnic make-up but from whether or not we attenders intentionally invite and reach out in our own circles of influence.

"Dear Pastor: From a black female congregant"

Recently, Trillia Newbell wrote a letter about being an African American woman in a (predominantly) white congregation. She organized her thoughts by topic, covering "Culture," "Boys," "Interaction," and "Femininity." You should go read it.

But I wanted to highlight this quote as well:

I grew up being told that I have to work triple as hard because I am black and then triple that because I am female. So, that’s what I did. I grew wanting to be Oprah but “better”. Because of the socio-economic position of many blacks this need to be driven is ingrained in us. And if we have opportunities like I did, we best take advantage of them. Many of the black females I ran with in college went on to be doctors, lawyers, etc. I was looked down upon by a research professor when I expressed my desire to stop grad school and do the internship with my church college ministry Volunteers For Christ. See, I was forfeiting all that the civil rights leaders had worked so hard for me to be able to do- I had gotten into law school and wasn’t going to go.

Be patient with young black females as God moves in their hearts to teach them about biblical femininity. I didn’t jump on the idea of submitting to a man. Why in the world would I? I definitely didn’t jump at the idea of biblical femininity and being “busy at home”. Though I realize “being busy at home” looks different in every home, before I understood this it looked like: wife, mom, and house-cleaner. It wasn’t all that appealing until I got to know people and saw their home and the beauty in it. But, it took time for God to reveal His Word and His heart to me. And now in marriage, because God has been so very gracious to me, I can/do submit, and even to a white man. I also love to be home with my children. This is a miracle that only God could do in my heart. I had to (and continue to) fight not only the world, not only feminist thoughts, but a culture that would say I sold out.

[http://www.wogmagazine.com/2012/03/dearpastorfromablackfemalecongregant/]

"The Interrupters"

A forthcoming documentary:



[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1319744/]

Trayvon Martin and Joseph Kony

This particular article on Trayvon Martin deserved its own post:

Trayvon Martin and Joseph Kony blow up my social media in ironic juxtaposition. (Mostly) black people have posted their outrage over the shooting death of 17-year-old Martin by a neighborhood watch captain who thought he looked “suspicious” (while carrying a bag of Skittles and some iced tea), while (mostly) white people have created a social media phenomenon in sharing a 30-minute video from filmmaker and former missionary Jason Russell to bring down Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, over 100 million times. 

Trayvon Martin and Joseph Kony are two sides of a coin in a cultural currency that must go bankrupt, if not in this country, then at least in the community of faith. 

In Trayvon Martin’s case, the 17-year-old was issued a death sentence because he was black and perceived to be in the wrong neighborhood. The man who killed him, George Zimmerman, is free. Never charged. Never even arrested. Right here, right now in 2012, he can ostensibly go home and kiss his wife and teach Sunday School.

Joseph Kony’s reputation is indefensible; he is evil, and doing his part to slaughter young boys just like Trayvon very single day, for years. He should be brought down. 

What nauseates and scares me is the deafening silence from the masses concerning Trayvon Martin, our neighbor. It’s curious to me how easily 100 million people could see the Kony video, buying t-shirts and forwarding videos, and yet remain silent about the neighborhood watchman in their own backyard who shot an unarmed boy for carrying Skittles.

I couldn't help but quote so much. (The emphasis is mine.)

Sigh. I haven't yet figured out why the Kony social media phenomenon makes me so immediately angry. Maybe this is why?

[http://blogs.bible.org/tapestry/sharifa_stevens/why_i_fear_good_people_trayvon_martin_and_kony_2012]

Trayvon Martin

In keeping with my intense curiosity about how issues of race are portrayed by the media and in particular by the evangelical community, here are some links on the recent death of Treyvon Martin.

Tea Berry-Blue: “I was arrested once”

Kristen Howerton: “Require Reading on the Killing of Treyvon Martin” (a number of great reads)

Mother Jones: "The Trayvon Martin Killing, Explained" (continually updated with current developments)

Denene Millner: “Black Boy Swagger, Black Mom Fear”

John Piper: “Trayvon Martin, Grace, and The Gospel” (excellent, as always... read Bloodlines!)

Jesse Washington: “Trayvon Martin, my son, and the Black Male Code”

Black Snob: “No Apologies: On the Killing of Trayvon Martin and Being ‘Good’”


Think Progress: “What Everyone Should Know About Trayvon Martin (1995-2012)"

Russell Gideon

"Russell Gideon was a Seattle businessman, a pharmacist, and a pioneer in senior housing. From 1977 until his death, he was recognized yearly by Ebony magazine as one of the nation�s 100 most influential black citizens. A community leader and a man of great energy and charm, Russell Gideon used these personal attributes to advantage in pursing his many humanitarian and business interests."

[http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=238]

Taboo Then, Typical Now

This photo gallery was fascinating to me because I often forget that so much has changed in the last fifty years, regarding media/public representation of "taboos".

"The [Star Trek] episode is popularly cited as the first example of a scripted inter-racial kiss on television (between Kirk and Uhura.)"

[http://www.life.com/gallery/61141/image/3160225/taboo-then-typical-now#index/0]

"What if Michael Vick were white?"

"No getting around it: Race is still an undeniable element of the Michael Vick story," Touré says in his article, "What if Michael Vick were white?" It's excellent and brings up many of the factors leading up to Vick's imprisonment.