Tag: violence

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Ahmaud Arbery and the Legacy of Inaction, Injustice and Tragedy Porn for Black People

So, the past week has been interesting. I say interesting because everything that’s been happening should have already happened on or immediately after February 23, 2020. That’s the day Ahmaud Arbery was murdered while taking a jog in Georgia. But it was only this week that his murderers, father and son Gabriel and Travis McMichael, … Continue reading Ahmaud Arbery and the Legacy of Inaction, Injustice and Tragedy Porn for Black People

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BBC, Prince Harry Accepts Your Apology – Because He’s British

So, I ran across a news item in The Guardian this week discussing how the BBC, the world’s oldest national broadcaster, apologized for not warning the Duke of Sussex before publishing a racist image. Now, the image the Duke – you may know him as Prince Harry, husband to Megan Markle, the British royal family’s first … Continue reading BBC, Prince Harry Accepts Your Apology – Because He’s British

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Meghan Markle, the Media and Our Vanishing Rights to Privacy, Decency and Giving Birth Without Photo Shoots

Several things happened this week that have me thinking our perspective on the power of the media is skewed. It’s real, no doubt, but we’re missing something really basic. That might sound strange coming from a member of the media. But I like to think of myself as a different kind of journalist in that, … Continue reading Meghan Markle, the Media and Our Vanishing Rights to Privacy, Decency and Giving Birth Without Photo Shoots

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Mike Brown: Today’s Hiroshima #diversity #racism #power

I had no plans to blog about Mike Brown. I thought, this happens so often, as tragic and horrible as it is, what more can I say that I haven’t already? Two things changed my mind.

One, I saw an absolutely stunning photo of a silent protest at Howard University where hundreds of solemn black faces stood with their hands up. No words were needed. It was peaceful, it was powerful, and it was in direct opposition to the fear and violence that swept Ferguson, Missouri this week.Howard

Then I read a beautifully written piece in Salon by Brittney Cooper: “In defense of black rage: Michael Brown, police and the American dream,” discussing the mentality behind racism, and I had to chime in.

Cooper says: “We live in a country that is so deeply emotionally dishonest about both race and racism. When will we be honest enough to acknowledge that the police have more power than the ordinary citizen? They are supposed to. And with more power comes more responsibility.”

That’s the bottom line.

Continue reading “Mike Brown: Today’s Hiroshima #diversity #racism #power”

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Harassment: the Unsung #Diversity Problem #HarassmentIs

HarassmentI guess I never really thought about harassment in a diversity context. But then I read “10 Things That Street #HarassmentIs, In Case You Really Don’t Think It’s Important” by Soraya Chemaly, and it changed my mind, big time.

It’s not that I haven’t been harassed. I have. I’m reasonably cute, I have breasts, and I’m black. In some places that’s a recipe for disaster, a triple disaster, in fact. I’ve been importuned on the street, while visiting foreign countries, on jobs. But see, I’m what they call a ball buster. What I get, is often what I give. Continue reading “Harassment: the Unsung #Diversity Problem #HarassmentIs”