In Washoe County, Nevada, parents protest critical race theory (CRT), while a conservative group is pushing for teachers to wear body cameras to make sure they aren’t indoctrinating students. In Loudon county, Virginia, home to Leesburg, a town named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee,...
It was summer almost half a century ago when I got into that Volkswagen van and began my trip across America with Peter, a photographer friend. I was officially doing so as a reporter for a small San Francisco news service, having been sent out to tap the mood of the nation in a politically...
Frankly, with all the bad actors in blue uniforms on the public stage in America at the moment, this old white guy would think twice about calling the police. Which warrior would show up, and how prepared would that warrior really be to address the problem I am having with my...
The immense success of Robin DiAngelo’s book, “White Fragility,” reveals a secret that American publishers have been waiting for decades to unearth. Book titles are important. Publishers spend time searching for the title that will turn a promising book into the next explosive No. 1...
The horrific killing of an unarmed African American man, George Floyd, at the hands of Minneapolis police officers late last month and the ensuing demonstrations and riots across the country provide a stark and hardly compelling backdrop to the US administration’s attempt to employ America’s...
Ahmaud Arbery had committed two crimes. First, he was not born white. Worse — he was born black. Second, he took the liberty of going out for a jog. These were heinous crimes in the eyes of Gregory McMichael, a vigilante white man. Refusing to let these crimes go unpunished, on February 23,...
“We’d rather die on our feet than live on our knees. Say it loud! I'm black and I'm proud!” James Brown thundered out this line in one of his songs. At the time, Brown would have been called a “negro” — or bogusly dignified with an uppercase N — by most other people. In fact, he...
As we once again remember Martin Luther King (MLK), we pause and reflect on what he would make of a world that appears to be retreating back to the isolationism and racism that was common in the time he lived. Cut short in his prime, King’s legacy must be discussed with “what if” scenarios....
The coming to power of Donald Trump has reignited the debate on immigration and multiculturalism in the United States. His stringent policies and the efforts to slash both legal and illegal immigration to the US have been at the forefront of controversy since he took office in January 2017,...
August 2009: I press the doorbell. The dimness of the inner light and oriental fragrances give me a pleasant surprise. African jewelry hangs from the walls and Persian carpets pave the ground. I close my eyes. With the frantic speed of remembrance, music transports me to the alleys of Istanbul,...
