CW Political and Social Thought

Why College Rankings Mean Very Little

I wrote an article a few months back for the Richmond Times Dispatch advising high school seniors on choosing the right college and taking the necessary steps to ensure that their college experience is a success. In that article, I discussed the darker side of college;  the stress, depression, peer pressure, racism and  violence that are often eclipsed by more cheery depictions. My account was honest, but it also failed to mention perhaps the most critical point about college. Choosing the right college should never come down to a student's desire to attend a school because it's an Ivy League, or a top ten, or for that matter, a college that has any kind of reputation. I attended the University of Virginia, which was recently ranked as the second best public university in the nation, but I would not encourage anyone to attend that school especially if you are a racial or gay minority because the University of Virginia, being so steeped in tradition,  has a culture that does little to protect the minority population at that school. This is probably due to the fact that for 145 out of its 181 year history it was nearly an "all-white, all-male preserve, a Southern finishing school." [1]

From 2002 to 2007, I witnessed a number of events that have led me to believe that the University of Virginia has a racist campus. I am not saying that the University itself is racist, but there is everything to suggest that a cloud of prejudice and Southern way of life hangs over every part of that school. In one incident, I was walking to class one day and saw a poster hanging in the corridor of one of the academic buildings that told all Black people to go "back to Africa". What made that worse was that there was a monkey on the flyer. While the African American population protested against such demeaning acts of racism, there was little that the Administration did. In fact, the only incident that the Administration seemed to really react to was one in which a Black female student, who was running for student council president, was violently beaten by a white male who called her "nigger" as he  ambushed  her in the wee hours of the morning. There was also the incident where some white fraternity boys wore blackface and an afro wig to a frat party. Then, there was the incident where a first-year white male called his resident adviser a "nigger-bitch" because she had asked him to stop some behavior that was disruptive. I could recount countless stories like these, but the point is that the University sees these events as isolated and has never taken responsibility for its role in upholding a culture that is thoroughly racist and Southern. Many African American students could not walk in the fraternity district without being called a "nigger" or fearing for their safety.  I have also heard that other racial minorities feel just as uneasy.  Indians, Koreans, Chinese, and Africans have all told me how they tend to stay within their own social circles because of the confrontational environment around them.

But it's not just about the student body.  The faculty has no understanding of the ways in which they promote this culture. I had a professor to tell a class of about sixty third-years that African Americans completely fabricated the historical figure known as Crispus Attucks. As well,  I had a professor, in discussing the Civil War, completely disregard the contributions of African Americans in the war effort. Overall, I only had  five minority teachers out of  fifty-two! The University says that it's taking steps to hire more minority professors, but don't count on it. When it comes to business, all the University can see is dollar signs. In fact, I read a journal article where the dean of admission, John Blackburn, was quoted as saying that accepting more minorities could jeopardize the school's standing, which is one reason I believe why his office gives preferential treatment to out-of-state minority students, because their test scores offset those of in-state minority students, particularly for African Americans.

I say all of that because I think that students should really be weary of these rankings. It seems that the higher the ranking the more you can bet that that University specializes in catering to a small segment of the high school population. It's not just the racial element that handicapped my success, but the class element. The University of Virginia has one of the richest student bodies in the country and this in reflected in U.Va. culture.  It's a culture that I could not relate to and a culture that offended me. I didn't come from money and my parents aren't lawyers or doctors. I don't care much about brand names or extravagant spring breaks in Europe. I am Black, gay, the son of a working family, and a person who just wanted to get an education. I was once asked by a professor why I was so affected by the climate at U.Va. and not other Black students.  The sad thing is that he actually believes that.

You May Not Be Gay But You Sure Do Like Having Sex With Other Men

Am I the only one who thinks that Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig is full of hot air when he admitted that he did nothing wrong in the incident that took place in June of 2007! This is just another case of a "down low brotha." For those of you who are not as familiar with the term, "down low" describes an otherwise "straight" man who likes having sex with other men. It's clear to me that Larry Craig was soliciting sex based on the report filed by the involved plain-clothes police officer. [1]

"At 1215 the male in the stall to the left flushed the toilet and exited the stall. Craig entered the stall and placed his roller bag against the front of the stall door. My experience has shown that individuals engaging in lewd conduct use their bags to block the view from the front of the stall....At 1218 Craig tapped his right foot. I recognized this as a signal used by persons wishing to engage in lewd conduct. Craig tapped his toes several times and moved his foot closer to my foot. I moved my foot up and down slowly....At 1217 I saw Craig swipe his hand under the stall divider for a few seconds. The swipe went in the direction from the front of the stall back towards the back wall. His palm was facing towards the ceiling as he guided it (along) the stall divider...Craig swiped his hand again for a few seconds in the same motion a third time for a few seconds...I could also see Craig had a gold ring on his ring finger as his hand was on my side of the stall divider.."

This police report reads like a salacious gay novel. Well, except that there is no steamy sex scene. Then again, I don't think I could even stomach seeing this sixty-two year old Senator shirtless. He looks like he ought to be rocking in a chair somewhere reading Bernstein Bears to his grandkids and sipping on prune juice. Instead, he's trying to pick up some stranger in an airport bathroom that I'm sure smells like piss and is as filthy as a Motel 8. Talk about desperate. I don't feel bad for him. Now, if he was willing to admit that he was gay, then maybe I could emphasize, but this guy is downplaying his sexuality to salvage what few remains he has left of his political career.  If he wanted gay sex, then he should have just said so. It's not like he'll be much of anything once this all settles down. He'll probably get convicted of some ethics charges and be forced to resign from his post. Then, like Ted Haggard, and before him, Mark Foley, and before him Jim McGreevey, he'll live out a somewhat pathetic life.  Why can't we just accept that even "straight" men like having sex with men!

What Made Pastor Thomas Weeks Lose It?

There are rumors circulating that Bishop Thomas W Weeks III, husband of televangelist and best-selling author Juanita Bynum, may have violently assaulted his wife due to threats issued by Bynum that she would go public with claims that he was sexually involved with men from his church. What is certain is that Weeks and his wife were engaged in an argument when he suddenly attacked her, even choking and kicking her. Apparently, when he walked out of a meeting in which they were trying to reconcile after a separation, Bynum confronted Weeks in the parking lot of the hotel. One has to wonder what could have driven Weeks to be so violent when he had demonstrated such restraint by walking out earlier.

Is this the case of a down low bishop? Or a bishop who had enough with trying to piece his marriage back together? At this point, the facts do not lean one way or the other, but if it turns out to be the former, then the whole down low phenomenon has reached all new lows (or highs, depending on how you look at it.) I don't mean to imply that this is a phenomenon in the sense that this is unique in American social development, only that we have just  recently been able to put a label on a practice that predates the church itself. Interestingly, men having sex with men is as natural to human history as is heterosexual sex. Though for reasons related to social norms, religious doctrines, and legal and political structures, this history has been marginalized.  After McGreevey,  Haggard,  Bob Allen, and others, you'd think that we would stop being so shocked that this happens. But I guess it'll take a whole lot for that.

Related Links
Juanita Bynum's MySpace Page
Weeks Out on Bond
Weeks' Official Website
Juanita Bynum Savagely Beaten
Televangelist Attacked in Atlanta

An Interview With a Virginia Tech Alum

In light of the news that Virginia Tech students returned to school today for the start of a new academic year after experiencing the worst mass shooting that our nation has ever seen, I thought I would talk to one of my Virginia Tech friends about his feelings now that Virginia Tech and our nation have become somewhat removed from that terrible day in April.

Matt is a 2006 Virginia Tech alumnus with an undergraduate degree in Business Administration.

Me: Thanks Matt for doing this interview. I want to start off by asking you how do you think the mood is at VT?

Matt: Well, first off, I graduated in May of 2006 and still have friends that attend VT,  but as far as I know through them and visiting the campus twice since the tragedy, the mood has become overwhelmingly pleasurable as if everyone is ready to move on and continue his/her academic quest for knowledge and social interactions

Me: What does "moving on" entail do you think?

Matt: Taking the tragedy into perspective, thinking about it, releasing the anger and/or sadness, to have an understanding of all the developments and realizing that the sun will shine again tomorrow. Yet we will still remember and honor those great promising lives that were lost. We go through our daily lives as if it were back to normal, but with the thought of our fallen brethren. People are ready for the long nights of cramming for tests, the parties, the Hokies football season

Me: Do you think that a permanent memorial will help that effort?

Matt: A permanent memorial will in part help us Hokies and those outside of the community remember what occurred while still realizing that they were at VT for a purpose (education foremost, whether learning or imparting) in which would prepare them for their journey through life. The alums, current staff and students are there as well for this and we realize what they were not able to accomplish we will for them

Me: In terms of national reputation, do you think that VT can manage to come from under the shadow of this massacre?

Matt: As with any major tragedy, there are negative connotations associated, think about Columbine, but  VT is a very reputable academic institution with great people, as well as great athletics. So I say yes we will come up from it and VT will not always be known for this one act. We have been around since 1872 and we will not let this ruin our reputation

Me: Indeed. I don't see that Hokie spirit dissipating anytime soon. I know that you knew some of the victims. Can you tell me about how their families and friends are holding up?

Matt: Personally, I do know of one of the surviving victims more as an acquaintance through work over the years. Of course it was difficult and hard to believe that it hit so close, but the victim and his family have been holding up ok and he is making a full recovery. My girlfriend actually knew one of the victims who did not make it. She knew him for years. His high school is actually holding a special ceremony for him this Friday night.

Me: What is his name?

Matt: Jarrett Lane

Me: I wish him and his family and the whole Virginia Tech family healing and perseverance. Lastly, Matt, I want to get your opinion of who's going to win the UVA-VT game this season?

Matt: Well, being completely un-biased...Virginia Tech due to our depth, the best defense, and an improving offense. But I still must thank UVA for their support throughout the tragedy. As well as the rest of the nation and academic institutions.

Me: Well, even though I am a Wahoo through and through, I hate to admit it but VT is going to whoop some cavalier butt, but you didn't hear that from me. Thanks so much Matt for doing this interview. I wish you all the best.

Matt: Thanks for your time and great questions

A Trip to the Home of Thomas Jefferson

Today, my boyfriend and I took a trip to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. I can't really say that I am a big fan of Jefferson. Besides it being my third trip, I went along because my boyfriend was insistent upon going because he hadn't taken advantage of it when he was a student at the University of Virginia. I too was a student, but have no real fondness for the founder of my alma mater. Let me say a thing or two about Jefferson. While Jefferson was a very intelligent man, he borrowed many of his ideas. For example, as I was told by a tour guide, his inspiration for Monticello resulted from a trip he took to France, presumably during his stay as Secretary of State. Only after his return did he add many of the most notable features of Monticello. In terms of his political theory, he heavily borrowed from John Locke, except that Jefferson never authored any book spelling out a particular democratic vision. Much of what we know about Jefferson's political theory comes to us through letters. Another misnomer is that Jefferson invented all sorts of gadgets like clocks, writing machines, and the like. The fact is that Jefferson didn't invent anything. All the strange things that you see in his house were ordered from a nineteenth century version of a JCPenney's catalog.

Of course, my biggest grip against Jefferson is that he was a man who folded under pressure when it came to the most pressing moral issue of his day, the issue of human rights for enslaved persons. While he did have some encouraging things to say about the issue...

"Nobody wishes more ardently to see an abolition, not only of the trade, but of the condition of slavery; and certainly, nobody will be more willing to encounter every sacrifice for that object." --Thomas Jefferson to Brissot de Warville, 1788. [1]

"Do not mistake me. I am not advocating slavery. I am not justifying the wrongs we have committed on a foreign people... On the contrary, there is nothing I would not sacrifice to a practicable plan of abolishing every vestige of this moral and political depravity." --Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Cooper, 1814

He was from cradle to grave beholden to his white supremacist ideology. And we should idolize him why? Even on his plantation, he didn't bother to educate him slaves, unless of course it meant teaching them how to make nails, cook food, or plow his crops. There is also the issue of Sally Hemmings. Like many white plantation owners, Jefferson thought of  the Black female body as not only a  machine that  replenished his labor force, but a sexual object of which he could claim ownership. I don't detest the man, it's just that we should not venerate him the way we do.

Pictures from My Visit to Monticello





Learn More about Blacks on Jefferson's Plantation
Peter Fossett
 Isaac Jefferson

Lucy

Let's Hear It for All the Uncles!

My blog friend over at wanderingcaravan has really got something started. He's been posting some entries about his niece and nephew. It reminded me about how much I love my nieces and nephews, all five of them. I sent him this picture and I thought that maybe I should just share it with the world. It's one of my favorite pictures because of the contrast between the tutu and the forest. I managed to take this picture when my niece decided that she would strike out on her own after we had spent some time at the creek behind my house. I hope she'll grow up to be that courageous and daring. Uncle "Kis" loves you baby!

A Tibetan Monk in America

For several weeks, an unassuming Asian man came by office daily to take my trash. His shoulder-length hair and high cheeks bones made him rather striking. Though with a somewhat short stature, his good looks and personable manner were not intimidating in the least. I would strike up a conversation with him, discussing general topics like the weather and news. I had wondered what had brought him here, but I did not dare ask a stranger such a personal question, but of course, me being the nosy person that I am, I decided that I would broach the subject less directly. I figured, rightly or wrongly, that everyone likes talking about their family, so I started there. What resulted from that conversation was something that would change my life. Never again would I assume that ordinary people have ordinary lives. Or that there is such a thing as ordinary. As it turns out, this unassuming man had lived twenty years of his life as a Buddhist monk in Tibet, had escaped from the Chinese government by crossing the Himalayan mountains, and had lived six years of his life in India, where he was essentially a social outcast. When you have no papers, no money, or hardly any friends, you have no life.  The strangest thing is that this man's life didn't seem to have phased him in any way. His face was youthful. His spirit generous. And his mind, not to mention his English, was sharp. I still remember being taken aback when he disclosed his age. I aimed for about 25, but boy was I off. He didn't mind telling me about his family. His wife. His kids. His siblings who are still in China. He hadn't known his father for most of his youth because the Chinese government was threatened by his father's political demonstrations, so they jailed him, just as they continue to jail any Tibetans who speak out against the Chinese government. Is the Chinese government so stringent because Tibetans refuse to assume Chinese nationality? Probably. Is the Chinese government so greedy for natural resources that it is willing to bulldoze homes and devastate Tibetan culture and way of life? Equally Likely. I had heard of the 'Free Tibet' movement in the United States, though I had not really thought much about it, but the struggle of Tibetans became real to me at that moment, like no brochure or lecture could ever be. I can say that I know a man who had to risk his life in order to elude the totalitarian hand of the Chinese government and now is shut off from his family and ancestral land because a few in China want to see his head on a platter!

The Gay Debate That Everyone Saw Except For Me

If you are like me, then you are frustrated that the recent "Gay Presidential Forum" was sponsored by a network that you actually don't get. Instead, I have had to rely on clips from YouTube and reviews by people like Keith Boykin, Ryan Sager, David, and Pam Spaulding. Not to take anything away from their generous gestures, but it certainly would have been nice to  be able to see such a historical debate firsthand. Logo could have at least put it on iTunes, as they do with many of their broadcasts.

It seems that there weren't any real surprises. The leading candidates (Clinton, Obama, and Edwards)  don't support gay marriage, though they are willing to concede full and equal rights for gay and lesbian couples without the dressing of 'marriage'. Richardson once again failed to convince anyone why he is even running. And Kucinich was the crowd favorite with his near perfect score on all of the issues important to gay Americans.

Well, I will say this. From my impression, the specific concerns of gay racial minorities were left off the table, with just one question posed to Obama about homophobia in the Black community. The most dreadful mistake that we could make is in assuming the heterogeneity (no pun intended) of Gay America. Read More

A Song for the Penniless

If I Were a Rich Man
from Fiddler on the Roof

Are the Newark Shootings Part of a Bigger Picture?

I heard a story some months ago that some Mexican gangs murder African Americans as a part of their initiation process, so I wonder if the incident in Newark is part of a bigger context.  The execution-style murders and numerous suspects, who are likely Latino, seem to suggest to me that this was no random act of violence. Even so, the idea of these gangs targeting African Americans is rather prevalent throughout the African American  community.  In fact, I had a friend receive a message supposedly from the Virginia State Police warning Blacks, especially Black women, of this threat. There are forums and websites dedicated to addressing this very question. The majority of them regard such accusations as untrue, though they all seem to acknowledge some source of the confusion.

www.snopes.com

"This rumor about impending murder in the Memphis area began surfacing in e-mail in mid-July 2005. ...The rumors appear to have begun with statements about gang initiation violence planned to take place at a mall or shopping center that an unidentified woman heard in a bathroom and which she subsequently reported to the police in that city....One factor that possibly influenced the spread of rumors about gang-related random violence poised to strike in the Memphis area was the shooting deaths of two teens in the days just prior to the rumor's emergence." [1]

www.truthorfiction.com

"This eRumor got started during a time when there were several freeway shootings in Southern California. One version of this eRumor begins with "Regarding the rash of freeway shootings in Southern California."  In March and April of 2005 there were 12 unsolved freeway shootings such that left at least four people dead.[2]

The only confirmed incident that I could find of this involves the Mexican Mafia in L.A, in which case these gangs try to force Blacks to flee from an increasing majority-Latino residential district.

 

Gauging the Gangs

Mexican Gangs "Ethnic Cleansing" Blacks in L.A.

Latino Gangs Make Blacks Target in Canoga Park

Gang Accused of Conspiring to Kill Blacks

Campus Unrest May be Related to Mexican Mafia

Study Shows that Killing a White Person More Likely to Result in Execution

A recent study on the role of race in the actual implementation of the death penalty between 1972-2002 concluded that "blacks on death row convicted of killing whites are (two times) more likely to be executed than whites who kill minorities." [1] As it turns out, most of these executions happened in the 1990s, so the significance of this study is highly relevant to the inequality within our justice system today. Just look at these statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice. [2]

The prevalence of imprisonment in 2001 was higher for
-- black males (16.6%) and Hispanic males (7.7%) than
    for white males (2.6%)
-- black females (1.7%) and Hispanic females (0.7%) than
    white females (0.3%)

Lifetime chances of a person going to prison are higher for
-- men (11.3%) than for women (1.8%)
-- blacks (18.6%) and Hispanics (10%) than for whites (3.4%)

Based on current rates of first incarceration,
-- 32% of black males will enter State or Federal prison during their
    lifetime, compared to
-- 17% of Hispanic males and
-- 5.9% of white males

Why is this so? One of the coauthors of the study on capital punishment gives many reasons in his interview with Newsweek, but most surprising and disturbing is the influence of politics.

(A)ppellate court justices at the state level are often subject to elections, called retention elections. That means they run unopposed without a party label. It's hard to blow an election like that. But some appellate justices in California and a few other states supposedly granted relief in too many death penalty appeals and got unelected in these retention elections. That's also why some states that are reluctant to execute just stall. California has something like 650 people who've been on death row, and since 1976 but this state has only executed about 15 people. They are dragging it out because they see the pressure and don't want to lose their seats. My fundamental point is that the death penalty is intrinsically political. [3]

Politics.

Reconsidering Modern Conveniences in an Effort to Rescue our Nation's Children (and Parents)

Two studies were released today that sounded the alarm on the developmental effects of watching too much television at a young age. The first one suggests that popular children's videos like "Baby Einstein" and "Brainy Baby" could in fact do more harm than good. [1] What scientists found was that babies who had watched the videos "scored about 10% lower on language skills than infants who had not watched these videos," which is highly significant given that nine out of ten two year-olds  and two out of five three month-olds watch more than two hours of television per day. In a separate study by Cornell University, scientists suggest that there is a link between watching television and autism. They conclude that there is a positive correlation between the cable subscription rate in a given community and  that community's rate of autism. Moreover, they believe that the local weather determines the likelihood that children will watch more television. "This suggests that, if television is a trigger for autism, then autism should be more prevalent in communities that receive substantial precipitation." [2] It seems farfetched, but I believe that the more important point is that our society needs to seriously consider the effects of watching television, but of course it's not just television.

The state of our nation's children is reflective of our nation's parenting. Sure we can pat ourselves on the back that teen pregnancy has reached record lows in the past few years. [3, pg 1] Or even that since 2001, the college enrollment rate for recent high schoolers continues to increase. [4] But we have to ask ourselves about the quality of our parenting. It is not enough that children go to college because they are told to do so. Parents must model the behavior that they want their children to emulate. As  of yet,  I have not heard of any study that looks into the harmful effects of   television on adult development, but I would not be surprised that the average adult's four hours of television per day has profound consequences for not only the level of parental supervision and involvement, but as well the extent to which that adult is a productive member of society. [5] There are studies that link television to obesity, which is linked to depression. [6] [7] If a parent is depressed then he or she is incapable of fully parenting. With 64.5% of Americans being overweight, this is not just a health crisis, but a generational crisis. [8] We have thrown the scales out of the the window and with that our children's future.

The time has come for our nation to quit this game of politics and return to discussing  more substantive issues. While we squabble over issues about earmarks,  our nation is plagued with problems that have more long-term effects on our nation's sustainability. If we cannot elect a government that can pass meaningful legislation that reaches the basic unit of our society, then we are apt to have a meaningless  legislature. 

A Historical Moment in Time With the Late Oliver Hill: By One Virginian About Another

The year was 1959. The Supreme Court had rendered a verdict in Brown v Board of Education just  five years earlier calling for desegregation, which prompted one of the most vicious and racist campaigns to ever hit the public airwaves. On February 24, 1956, Virginia Senator Harry Byrd Sr. declared, and with which the Virginia General Assembly legislatively complied, that "Massive Resistance" was the policy through which Virginia would challenge integration. Through laws that stripped funding from integrated schools like Warren County High School and Lane High School, which was in my own city of Charlottesville, by granting tuition to students who chose to attend private schools, and by closing down school systems that did not comply, Virginia led the way in a final attempt to use states' rights as a way of subjugating the African American population, at least when it concerned equal education.

Then on January 19, 1959, the Virginia Supreme Court effectively ended Massive Resistance by ruling in Harrison v Day,106 S.E.2d 636 (Va. 1959)  that such laws and actions by the state were unconstitutional. After Governor Almond publicly condemned the decision on WXEX in Richmond (Audio), the Virginia branches of the NAACP and Oliver Hill, as their leading attorney, fought back. Oliver Hill would address the same WXEX audience, but his message appealed to the grandest of all American values. [1]

Faced with this history and these facts, there was no other logical or just conclusion that the United States Supreme Court could reach other than to hold racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. The Constitution does not guarantee any right to any racial solidarity or to the protection or preservation of any race. Its guarantees go to the right of the individual to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is impossible for me to conceive how any objective observer can logically contend that the action of the Supreme Court violated any right of the state. The contention that the fact that the Court had once passed on the question and was thereafter foreclosed from correcting a demonstrated error is as illogical as would be the contention of a motorist who, when charged with driving down the highway in a careless and reckless manner at ninety miles an hour, declared that the officers arresting him were out of order because peace officers had been observing him driving in this manner for the past quarter of a century and none of them had so charged him before. The contention is made that racial segregation in public schools must be maintained in order to preserve a way of life to which Virginians have been accustomed. I certainly make no pretense that the elimination of radial segregation will not change the way of life in many Virginia communities - -[2]

Hill's legal reasoning takes away any states' rights argument out of segregationists' hands because, as he rightly saw it, constitutional principles always trumped state "tradition" or "way of life". Interestingly, Hill does not end his analysis there. He believes that any attempt to deprive African Americans of equal status jeopardizes the equality of Whites as well, especially in terms of opposing Massive Resistance.

But I can point out to you hundreds of individual instances in Virginia wherein the totalitarian concept of racial segregation not only deprives the Negro of his constitutional rights, but similarly deprives the white persons their rights. One clear •cut illustration commonly known is the denial to white people who oppose massive resistance of their right to freedom of expression because of their fear of social, economical or political reprisals. There are even rumors of reprisals against the Justices of the Supreme Court Appeals of Virginia for exercising their honest judgment and declaring the massive resistance laws unconstitutional

He contended that this fight was less about how Blacks needed rights and more about how the United States and more specifically White America needed to find its soul.

The only severance in the lines of communication exists at the end resting among the white people and can easily be reunited once the white people of this state decide to work constructively upon the problems, real and fancied, incident to the elimination of racial segregation. The question is not whether you believe in racial segregation, for racial segregation is crumbling -- not merely because the Negro wants it eliminated, but because it is incompatible with the fundamental concept of the right of the individual to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The only question, my friends, is whether you will continue to follow the false doctrine of evasion, resistance and defiance of the law and the principles of American democracy and suffer the change from segregation to desegregation amid the turmoil and tension of another lost cause, or whether you will repudiate the actions of your politicians and work cooperatively to bring the transition to pass with a minimum of emotional impact.

With this, the fight for equality was not over, though Massive Resistance did end. Oliver Hill, who already reached celebrity as the attorney for the Prince Edward County case which was subsumed into Brown, went on to become the first Black member of the Richmond City Council in 50 years, a partner of Hill, Tucker and Marsh , honoree of the Spingarn Award, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, confidante of many political leaders, and one of the greatest American legal minds to ever live. [3] [4]  [5]

Oliver Hill (1907-2007)

 

Image Credit : http://www.medaloffreedom.com/OliverWhiteHill.htm

http://www.brownat50.org/images/BrownCCF03Lecture/CCFOliverHill&.JPG

http://www.vahistorical.org/sva2003/owh.htm

 

The 2007 Black Weblog Awards

What an incredible year it has been. It was this month a year ago that I started this blog having neither an idea that of its trajectory, nor its substance. I was going into my last year of college and I figured that I would use my blog as a way of venting a lot of my frustration, as college had become quite impersonal and rather boring. Since that time, I have taken on many faces (from Mal A La Tete, to Black Gay Journeys, to Oscar Michaeux, and now Political and Social Thought). As well, I have expanded the variety of topics. My first story, which has become a bit of a joke around here, was on gynecomastia, not that I really called it that. It was a bad attempt at making light of a topic that received little attention. I am glad that I have not covered it since.  Nevertheless, after my first entry, I began taking my blog more seriously. I've done a lot on politics over the past year; 2008 presidential politics, George Allen's macaca moment,  current events,  the Democratic Party, social policy, Virgil Goode's attacks on Keith Ellison, Virginia's 'profound regret for  slavery, the Seattle Case and many others. In addition to the political arena, I am  constantly challenging social norms. My most passionate area is in twenty-first century racism: majority privilege, majority male privilege, race as a false absolute, the denial of Black importance in American history, Black acquiescence and other facets.

Being proudly Black and gay, I also take  issue with the second class citizenship of gay Americans and the perplexing position of racial minorities against gay rights. In one entry, I gathered  some quotations, with the help of Keith Boykin, from prominent African Americans including T.D. Jakes, Donnie McClurkin (a supposedly converted heterosexual) and Tim Hardaway. I have talked about gay celebrities at length like John Amaechi, Keith Boykin, Wilson Cruz, and many others.  I believe that it is the responsibility of all gay Americans, out or closeted and well as our straight allies to advocate for change. It is unfair that gay Americans are discriminated based on their sexual orientation when race, disability, age, sex, and military status are all protected categories. Just as it is unfair to ignore the 12 million plus undocumented residents in the U.S. It is unfair to deprive gay American  citizens of equal standing before the law.  It's not enough for politicians like William Howell to say that he believes that gay Americans should have rights. Politicians must take a stand where they are able to, meaning that we need to change 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', hate crimes legislation, adoption laws, marriage laws,  and employment discrimination laws . 

Unfortunately or not, I have also done a lot on less serious topics like Star Jones' departure from the View, Oprah's fallout with James Frey,  and Whitney Houston's  ups and downs.

I don't consider myself to be a most impressive anything (i.e. blogger, social advocate, writer), but I do what I do here because people like me need a voice. You'll find me writing about everything from Kevin Federline to international politics because my interests vary. Fundamentally, however, I don't subscribe to doing business as usual.

Will you consider nominating me for a Black Weblog Award in one or one of the following categories?
All you have to do is go HERE after reviewing the categories below. As you are writing your nomination feel free to look in the Archives.

Best LGBT Blog 

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This category highlights the best “undiscovered” blog in the blogosphere; keep your eye on this one! This is for that great blog that not everyone knows about…but should!

Will Your Vote Count Come November 2008?

There is news today that California Secretary of State  Debra Bowen decertified  most of the voting machines used in California because they didn't satisfy "two very important measuring sticks: transparency and auditability". [1] That got me to thinking. How much can we trust the voting machines that we use? I know that after the whole mess with hanging chads in Florida, Congress passed a law requiring states to implement voting procedures that were more reliable than the punch-card system. [2] This was The Help America Vote Act of 2002. While it relieved many of the manual procedures that delayed election results until December 12th, other problems have surfaced which include hacking, unverifiable election results (i.e. no paper trail), and machines that mysteriously lose ballots. Bowen based her decision on the former, but I think that that is the least of our worries. As it now stands, there is no way that election results could even be contested with only 27 states mandating voter-verified paper records as of December 2006. [3] (Though eight others use such systems). What is alarming is that 10 states let counties determine the voting procedure and five states (DE, GA, LA, MD, SC) use DREs, "which  does not produce an independent voter-verified audit trail". Of course this is all happening at a time when machines are vulnerable to hacking. In fact, California officials were able to hack every single approved voting machine in their effort to determine the security of voting machines. [4] In addition, other instances have proved that e-voting poses serious challenges to secured and accurate voting: Leon County, FL, Tallahassee, FL, New Jersey, and many others.  Such errors also run alongside machine irregularities, where machines are found to be defective. In one such case, a machine burned out, losing about 2,600 e-ballots in Knox County, Tennessee in 2006. Here is how Gathering to Save Our Democracy reports it.

Circiutry in a Hart InterCivic eSlate failed, calling into question over 2,600 e-ballots. Knox County Election Commission Chair Pamela Reeves explained what happened to the machine. "Apparently, what it did was it smoked. I don't know what caused it to smoke, but it was literally smoking. So, they unhooked it at the time. Of course, we don't read the votes and we didn't know there was a problem until we went to read the votes Tuesday Night" [5]

No one knows how prevalent this sort of problem is, but worse enough for the government to issue a report saying that voting machines "are not viable for future voting systems" and "in practical terms cannot be made secure." [6] Apparently, they decided this after the 2006 November elections. Nevertheless, there is currently a bill (S. 1869) in the Senate that would "require new voting systems to provide a voter-verified permanent record, to develop better accessible voting machines for individuals with disabilities, and for other purposes." [7] But I wonder what, if any, impact will this bill have on the old voting machines.

Sometimes I wonder if it's only me that sees this whole business of voting as a crisis.

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A Proud Recipient of the 2002 National Horatio Alger Scholarship

Many years ago, five to be exact, I was one of one hundred national winners of the  Horatio Alger Scholarship. It's a scholarship program with some major backers like Oprah Winfrey, Franklin Raines, Maya Angelou, Quincy Jones, James Earl Jones and many more whose sole mission is to support students who have endured the odds and have demonstrated great potential. As I prepare for the alumni summit in October, I can't help but to reflect on one of the most unforgettable moments in my life, a spectacular July 4th weekend in which all the recipients came together. I had no idea what was in store, only that I felt that I did not deserve to be among such bright and inspiring young people.  I had my trials as a child, to be sure, but my perseverance was not a part of my conscious decision making. I acknowledged certain events, though I saw no choice but to keep moving on. Looking back now, I am still flabbergasted at my level of success in high school, becoming a two-time state champion in public speaking, a name always on the honor roll, and a servant of my community. So it came as a surprise to me that I could be recognized for my hard work when I was only doing what, in my opinion, I was supposed to be doing.

A dear friend of mine, whom I had known since middle school, also won the award. We together represented the state of Virginia's national scholars. I am proud to say that she is still a good friend of mine and is doing quite well as a graduate student in University of Virginia civil engineering department.  Since we  lived in the same city, we  boarded the  plane together to fly to Washington, D.C.  It was my first plane ride and I was as nervous as could be. Mind you, the plane ride was only about thirty minutes. Even so, I tried to take everything in, even getting my flying wings from the stewardess.  We got off the plane and were greeted by the Horatio Alger staff. Everything seemed like a dream. You know when you travel to places that you have never been and your senses are so much on overload that everything becomes surreal? That's what it felt like. I had never met any of these people, but I felt such a kindred spirit with them. I remember meeting people from all over the globe.  I would learn in a few days that many of them endured illness, poverty, physical disability and even genocide, but for the time being , I befriended as many people as I could without any of this knowledge....Continue Here

Obama Sworn in on Koran? What?

Your Answer is No!

No Obama Did Not Swear in on Koran!

On January 4, 2005, Barack Obama swore in on the Bible,  with an oath administered by  Dick Cheney,  whose role as Vice President also means he also presides as president of the Senate. 

Keith Ellison (D-Minnesota) did swear in on the Koran in January of 2007.

"Right-Wing Character Assassination of Obama"

Read More By Clicking     Here 

Update: Washington Post Covers This Issue

An excerpt from this article

"In his speeches and often on the Internet, the part of Sen. Barack Obama's biography that gets the most attention is not his race but his connections to the Muslim world. Since declaring his candidacy for president in February, Obama, a member of a congregation of the United Church of Christ in Chicago, has had to address assertions that he is a Muslim or that he had received training in Islam in Indonesia, where he lived from ages 6 to 10. While his father was an atheist and his mother did not practice religion, Obama's stepfather did occasionally attend services at a mosque there"

One of the most popular Google searches that results in hits on my website is "obama sworn in on koran". Ok people. Let me get this straight. Obama, a Christian and current presidential candidate, swore in on the Koran, but somehow the whole news media decided  that it would simply ignore the first such event, as no congressman on record has sworn in on the Koran save for Keith Ellison. Come on. Barack Obama is a practicing Christian, who has reiterated time and time again how important his Christian faith is to his role as a father, politician, and American citizen.

For some crazy reason, which I think is related to a right-wing conspiracy, people are getting Barack Obama confused with Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress. Ellison did swear in on the Koran in 2007 and you'd think that it was The Satanic Bible, based on the threats and criticism that he received. As a way of standing his own ground, he actually used a copy of the Koran that was owned by Thomas Jefferson, a figure whom right-wing nutjobs venerate.

Personally, I am SOOOOO over Jefferson. Yes Jefferson is the author of the Declaration of Independence and our third President.  He even founded my alma mater, but give me a break. The man  thought that the only men who were entitled to political freedom were white men  who owned property, notice that women aren't even up for debate.  And he, along with Alexander Hamilton, is responsible for the start of political parties in the US. Did I mention that the only book Jefferson authored was mostly a census report about Virginia, in which of course he talks at length about the innate inferiority of Black people?

"They secrete less by the kidnies (sic), and more by the glands of the skin, which gives them a very strong and disagreeable odour."

"Comparing them by their faculties of memory, reason, and imagination, it appears to me, that in memory they are equal to the whites; in reason much inferior, as think one could scarcely be found capable of tracing and comprehending the investigations of Euclid; and that in imagination they are dull, tasteless, and anomalous." [1]

And above all,  he had at least one Black child, which he didn't bother to claim. If Sally and Jefferson were alive today, I'm sure they would be on Maury Povich trying to get a paternity test, with Sally telling Jefferson that he is her baby's daddy and Jefferson probably saying that Sally sleeps around. Then Maury will tell Jefferson that "He is the father!" Then the whole audience, will rejoice or hiss, depending on the political affiliation.  Independents of course will give their support to the group that manages to make the most noise. I am not sure where I am going with this.  I guess it's just that I can't just bring myself to get so involved in Jefferson's brilliance when the man was clearly a racist, womanizer, elitist, pompous generalist who didn't invent anything and clearly plagiarized most of his greatest achievements [1] [2]

Ok. This is One Way to Get People to Read

Why Don't American Schools Take Learning Foreign Languages Seriously?

I am not sure what to make of the fact that I spent seven years trying to learn French with only mediocre results. I began taking French in the seventh grade and had excellent progress for many years. When the time came to converse however, I felt helpless. I could conjugate a verb in the past subjunctive, but when it came to carrying on a conversation, I stumbled and ultimately failed. I had thought that the problem was me, that I just did not have the talent or smarts to learn advanced French. Then again, I managed to take more advanced placement courses than anyone in my class, so I could not have been that handicapped so as to be incapable of learning a language. So I thought. As time went on and my French advanced classes decreased in size, I began noticing that even the valedictorian and salutatorian, who also shared the same class as I, too were struggling. I considered whether the whole thing was a mean joke. Maybe, the false promise of one day being  fluent (or even somewhat fluent) gave us enough motivation to keep seeking an end that we would never truly reach, but would help us to appear more attractive to colleges during the admission process. Retrospectively, this is all that it could have been. Despite all of our hard work, every student in my French AP class scored a 2 on the French AP exam. I could fault the teacher, who had only taught AP French a few years in her entire twenty-plus career, then that would only be part of the problem.

I think that the biggest challenge with how foreign languages are taught in the US, even at the college-level, is the heavy and unnecessary emphasis on precise grammar, with the conversational skills taking a backseat. I once spoke with my college professor about this matter and he, a French native, was confounded by the American educational system's approach to foreign languages. He did not understand how a student could be expected to understand a language while sitting in a classroom, far removed from the practical and real-life application of that language.  While immersion is not always reasonable, given other academic requirements, our current system has very little potential of making students sufficiently competent.  And the students that do learn a language are, for the most part, concentrating in that area as a part of their major. Unfortunately, most institutions don't do enough to encourage the use of tools that are at students' disposal like chat rooms, foreign Internet television,  and popular culture in the form of magazines and music. Moreover, short-term study abroad programs are too expensive for students and colleges and universities. Much of the preparation that students receive readies them for academic careers, not necessarily to ease social negotiability. With language being an organic form of communication that is constantly changing and being redefined, professors whose age and research-based work too easily become hindrances, can never connect with their students in such a way that languages come as accessible and beneficial as say,  math or politics.

Certainly, one reason why American students don't really bother learning other languages is because of the lack of cultural influence that other countries have in the US. Shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show and Friends are watched in other countries, but has the US any foreign television show subtitled in English that Americans can enjoy as a part of their basic cable package?  The vast impact of American culture is overwhelming to the rest of the world, with many people becoming famous just because they provide the voice-over for certain American actors in movies. 

The fact of the matter is that if we want to get serious about students learning other languages, we first have to acknowledge the problem is multifaceted and challenges the very dynamic of American hegemony in the world.

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