What Is Cultural Appropriation?

A few years ago at WisCon (the feminist SF convention) there was a panel about Cultural Appropriation that sparked an online discussion about the topic that is generally referred to as the Great Debate of DOOM. This was partly due to the wide-ranging nature of it (over 20 blogs, I believe) and due to [...]

Of Supreme Court Cases, Citizenship, and Uncle Tom

So the news that Clarence Thomas has asked the Supreme Court to consider whether to take up a lawsuit challenging President-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. citizenship has hit the airwaves. This story is running all over the blogosphere and much as I hate to agree with Clarence Thomas he’s actually not selling out Obama by putting [...]

Ignorant Parents In Danger Of Raising Ignorant Children

So here’s the story as I understand it.  Every year at this elementary school they celebrate Thanksgiving by having the kids dress up as pilgrims and “indians”.  Parents, mainly those of Native descent, have begun to object to this for several reasons.  1. It’s a completely inaccurate portrayal of what went on when the pilgrims [...]

Black Is The New Doctor

This may all come to nothing, but it’s being widely reported that Patterson Joseph has been asked to play the lead in Doctor Who and he’s either thinking hard or has accepted the role.
For those of you who don’t know Doctor Who, it’s an iconic British SF show where the main character, The Doctor, has [...]

Some Truths That Perhaps Have Not Sunk In Yet

Black people in California =/= All Black People
10% of population =/= 100% of the problem
~30% of Black Californians Who Voted NO on Prop 8 =/= People you can spit on, blame, rage at, and dismiss, then turn around and expect to support you. Not that they would support a ban on gay marriage and other [...]

It’s Morning In America

Last night America elected its first black president.  We made history, as everyone still enjoys saying.  And I think we’ve earned the right to bask in the glow for a little bit.
But listen, there’s still a lot to be done.
First and foremost, it should be stated that, although come January we will have a Black [...]

Of Politics, History, And The Future

So a blogger (apparently protesting some of the misogynistic macros aimed at Gov. Palin) gets the idea to post:

and then decides to “pull it down” but not. Because I’m hotlinking to the picture (which is still hosted on his webspace) right now. And then he tries to act like he had no idea it [...]

American Terrorists — Will They Be Sent to Guantanamo? Probably Not, If They’e White

September 15th was the 45 year anniversarry of the 16th Street Church Bombing.  Some background, for those who don’t know.  In 1963, a group of white men who were members of the KKK planted bombs in a black church on a Sunday morning.  When the bomb went off it destroyed a good portion of the [...]

Louisiana State Senator Worries That There Will Soon Be Too Many Black People, Film At 11

I don’t even know if I have the stomach to do full commentary on this shit.  So here are the highlights.
Worried that welfare costs are rising as the number of taxpayers declines, state Rep. John LaBruzzo, R-Metairie, said Tuesday he is studying a plan to pay poor women $1,000 to have their Fallopian tubes tied.
“We’re [...]

Of History and Hope

There’s a lot of actual political discussion that I’ll bring to the table in the months to come. And I know I’ve been an awful blogger lately (Real life has been hectic and I’ve been piling on other writing projects aside from this blog and my LJ. Because my eyes are bigger than my figurative [...]