Education Week: Teachers Advised to ‘Get Real’ on Race: Everyone at Columbus High, the pseudonymously named school where researcher Mica Pollock taught in the 1990s, worried about the “hall wanderers”—students who roved the building, seemingly unimpeded, while their peers sat in class.
Yet, although a disproportionate number of the wanderers were African-American, educators at the highly diverse high school shied away from raising the race flag when the hallway problem came up in faculty meetings. The issue was left to fester.
That pattern of response—or nonresponse—is what Ms. Pollock came to describe in an award-winning 2004 book as “colormuteness.” In other words, teachers saw a problematic racial pattern but, in an effort to appear colorblind, refused to talk about it in public.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Independent Lens . BANISHED . Get Involved | PBS
Independent Lens . BANISHED . Get Involved | PBS
From the 1860s to the 1920s, towns across the U.S. violently expelled African American residents. Today, these communities remain virtually all white.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
When Diversity Training Goes Awry
When Diversity Training Goes Awry: Initially, Courtney Halligan, a first-year student at the University of Delaware, was not opposed to attending a diversity training session that was required of all incoming freshmen. In fact, the 18-year-old New Jersey native assumed that the experience would be an opportunity for her to learn more about students from different backgrounds.
It didn’t take long for Halligan to change her mind.
In one-on-one and group sessions conducted in the dormitories by resident assistants, Halligan and dozens of other White students complained that they were made to feel like racists. She adds that they were blamed for the legacy of racism that Blacks and other minority groups have endured through the years.
Meanwhile, other students expressed anger that they were encouraged to talk openly about their sexuality, and some gay students said that they even felt pressured to publicly out themselves.
“I was personally offended,” says Halligan, who is majoring in communications. “I was angered when a document was used in the training that stated that ‘all people of European descent are racist.’ When I attempted to express my opinion against such statements, I was silenced.”
In response to complaints by students like Halligan, and pressure from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a Philadelphia-based civil liberties advocacy group that monitors freedom of speech issues on campuses across the country, the university decided last semester to suspend the controversial program.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Minority Students Become the Majority - washingtonpost.com
Minority Students Become the Majority - washingtonpost.com: Maryland may be majority white, but its public schools no longer are.
White residents account for 58.3 percent of the state's population, according to 2006 U.S. Census Bureau data. But they make up only 47 percent of the student body this school year. The new majority belongs to blacks, Hispanics, Asians and other minorities.
The demographic changes are manifesting themselves in the classroom in unexpected ways and with breathtaking speed. Schools in Charles County, in rural, largely white Southern Maryland, are now majority black. Next door, in Prince George's County, Bladensburg Elementary School has gone from majority black to majority Hispanic in less than seven years.
The state's public schools quietly became majority minority in 2004 as part of a larger demographic shift occurring in the Washington region and the nation. School administrators across the region said they are spending more time and money, inside and outside the classroom, reaching out to their growing populations of minority students, thousands of whom are new to the United States.
Monday, January 21, 2008
40 years after the riots, King's vision 'unfinished' - USATODAY.com
40 years after the riots, King's vision 'unfinished' - USATODAY.com: Four decades later, the rioting sparked by the assassination of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. is a fading memory to many Americans, preserved on grainy photographs and film.
In many of the 125 cities that were hit by violence, however, the images remain vivid — especially the fires and destruction that symbolized the outrage in mostly African-American neighborhoods, and that continue to reshape them today. At a time when whites were leaving cities for the suburbs, the rioting that left 46 people dead, 2,600 injured and 21,000 arrested hastened the departure of middle-class black families — and made King's dream of equality and opportunity seem more distant in the very neighborhoods where his message had resonated.
Events Set To Honor King Holiday - News- msnbc.com
Events Set To Honor King Holiday - News- msnbc.com: WASHINGTON - Events are set across the D.C. area to honor slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King. On Monday at the Lincoln Memorial, students from the District's Watkins Elementary School will recite his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech.
President George W. Bush plans to visit the King Memorial Library in Northwest Washington to mark the holiday.
The federal government is closed Monday in observance of King's birthday. There will be no mail delivery and schools and banks across the area are closed.
President George W. Bush plans to visit the King Memorial Library in Northwest Washington to mark the holiday.
The federal government is closed Monday in observance of King's birthday. There will be no mail delivery and schools and banks across the area are closed.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy oversimplified, scholars say - CNN.com
Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy oversimplified, scholars say - CNN.com: NEW YORK (AP) -- They are some of the most famous words in American history: 'I have a dream ...' And the man who said them has become an icon.
Martin Luther King Jr. has certainly gotten his share of attention this year, the subject of a presidential campaign controversy over his legacy that blew up just around the time of the holiday created to honor him.
But nearly 40 years after his assassination in April 1968, after the deaths of his wife and of others who knew both the man and what he stood for, some say King is facing the same fate that has befallen many a historical figure -- being frozen in a moment in time that ignores the full complexity of the man and his message.
"Everyone knows, even the smallest kid knows about Martin Luther King, can say his most famous moment was that 'I have a dream' speech," said Henry Louis Taylor Jr., professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Buffalo.
"No one can go further than one sentence," he said. "All we know is that this guy had a dream; we don't know what that dream was."
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Cultural differences alter the brain - Behavior- msnbc.com
Cultural differences alter the brain - Behavior- msnbc.com: It's no secret culture influences your food preferences and taste in music. But now scientists say it impacts the hard-wiring of your brain.
New research shows that people from different cultures use their brains differently to solve basic perceptual tasks.
Neuroscientists Trey Hedden and John Gabrieli of MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research asked Americans and East Asians to solve basic shape puzzles while in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. They found that both groups could successfully complete the tasks, but American brains had to work harder at relative judgments, while East Asian brains found absolute judgments more challenging.
Previous psychology research has shown that American culture focuses on the individual and values independence, while East Asian culture is more community-focused and emphasizes seeing people and objects in context. This study provides the first neurological evidence that these cultural differences extend to brain activity patterns.
"It's kind of obvious if you look at ads and movies," Gabrieli told LiveScience. "You can tell that East Asian cultures emphasize interdependence and the U.S. ads all say things like, 'Be yourself, you're number one, pursue your goals.' But how deep does this go? Does it really influence the way you perceive the world in the most basic way? It's very striking that what seems to be a social perspective within the culture drives all the way to perceptual judgment."
The results of the study were published in the January issue of the journal Psychological Science.
New research shows that people from different cultures use their brains differently to solve basic perceptual tasks.
Neuroscientists Trey Hedden and John Gabrieli of MIT's McGovern Institute for Brain Research asked Americans and East Asians to solve basic shape puzzles while in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. They found that both groups could successfully complete the tasks, but American brains had to work harder at relative judgments, while East Asian brains found absolute judgments more challenging.
Previous psychology research has shown that American culture focuses on the individual and values independence, while East Asian culture is more community-focused and emphasizes seeing people and objects in context. This study provides the first neurological evidence that these cultural differences extend to brain activity patterns.
"It's kind of obvious if you look at ads and movies," Gabrieli told LiveScience. "You can tell that East Asian cultures emphasize interdependence and the U.S. ads all say things like, 'Be yourself, you're number one, pursue your goals.' But how deep does this go? Does it really influence the way you perceive the world in the most basic way? It's very striking that what seems to be a social perspective within the culture drives all the way to perceptual judgment."
The results of the study were published in the January issue of the journal Psychological Science.
Save Your History, Museum Urges Blacks - washingtonpost.com
Save Your History, Museum Urges Blacks - washingtonpost.com: ... Held in collaboration with the Chicago Public Library, the daylong event featured classes where attendees could learn how to safely handle and preserve photos, clothing, textiles, collectibles, books and paper items.
The program was the first in a Smithsonian series called 'Save Our African American Treasures.' Similar events are planned for Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City and Washington, D.C.
Attendees also were able to meet one-on-one with conservation experts, similar to the PBS show 'Antiques Roadshow.' However, the emphasis was not on financial worth, but cultural and historical significance.
Wearing cotton gloves, the conservation experts dispensed advice on preserving more than 100 items.
Some of the items included a cap worn by a sleeping-car porter working for the Pullman Co. and a gold-colored pin given to a top saleswoman by Madam C.J. Walker, a black entrepreneur who built a fortune by developing and marketing hair care and beauty products to African-American women in the early 1900s.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Black WWII veteran set for posthumous honors - USATODAY.com
Black WWII veteran set for posthumous honors - USATODAY.com: MILWAUKEE (AP) — Booker Townsell rarely spoke about his time in the Army or his wrongful conviction in one of the largest courts-martial of World War II.
But his past takes center stage on Saturday, when the late Townsell receives military honors at his grave site. He'll get a salute and a bronze military headstone. His family finally will receive the U.S. flag that was denied at his burial almost 25 years ago.
The ceremony and reception that follows are expected to attract hundreds of people, including local and state dignitaries, a representative from the U.S. Army and a lawmaker who helped restore Townsell's name.
Townsell was one of 43 black soldiers court-martialed after an Italian prisoner was found lynched following a night of rioting at Fort Lawton in Seattle in 1944. The military court found 28 soldiers guilty of rioting over alleged resentment of Italian prisoners' living conditions on the post.
But his past takes center stage on Saturday, when the late Townsell receives military honors at his grave site. He'll get a salute and a bronze military headstone. His family finally will receive the U.S. flag that was denied at his burial almost 25 years ago.
The ceremony and reception that follows are expected to attract hundreds of people, including local and state dignitaries, a representative from the U.S. Army and a lawmaker who helped restore Townsell's name.
Townsell was one of 43 black soldiers court-martialed after an Italian prisoner was found lynched following a night of rioting at Fort Lawton in Seattle in 1944. The military court found 28 soldiers guilty of rioting over alleged resentment of Italian prisoners' living conditions on the post.
Just the Stats: Hispanic Women Continue to Make Gains in Enrollment
Just the Stats: Hispanic Women Continue to Make Gains in Enrollment: A recent report from The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) called, “Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 1996-2006,” revealed a slight increase in minority participation in graduate schools, rising from 26 percent in 2005 to 28 percent in 2006.
Hispanic enrollment constituted about 8 percent of the total U.S. graduate enrollment, compared to 13 percent of the total for African-Americans, and 6 percent for Asian/Pacific Islanders.
Can We Talk? Commentator’s Book Urges More Black/Hispanic Dialogue
Earl Ofari Hutchinson, a syndicated columnist and political analyst, who writes about race, politics and social issues in books and blogs, has tackled the sticky subject of relations between African Americans and Hispanic Americans.
His latest book is The Latino Challenge to Black America: Towards a Conversation Between African Americans and Hispanics, $19.95, Middle Passage Press (September 1, 2007) ISBN-10: 1881032221, ISBN-13: 978-1881032229.
The author devotes a chapter to education, giving it the telling title of “Reluctant Classroom Allies.”
Too often, as the book’s name implies, conversation on shared concerns and conflicts has not taken place. The two groups often see themselves in competition for scarce jobs, resources and other benefits of American society and talk past each other about the causes and solutions, as the author notes. Meanwhile, those who oppose progress for either group are all too happy to see them pitted against one another.
His latest book is The Latino Challenge to Black America: Towards a Conversation Between African Americans and Hispanics, $19.95, Middle Passage Press (September 1, 2007) ISBN-10: 1881032221, ISBN-13: 978-1881032229.
The author devotes a chapter to education, giving it the telling title of “Reluctant Classroom Allies.”
Too often, as the book’s name implies, conversation on shared concerns and conflicts has not taken place. The two groups often see themselves in competition for scarce jobs, resources and other benefits of American society and talk past each other about the causes and solutions, as the author notes. Meanwhile, those who oppose progress for either group are all too happy to see them pitted against one another.
Hispanic Just the Stats: Picking the Right College
A college education is becoming more of the norm than in the past. However, choosing the right college or university setting can be a challenge, especially for students in minority- groups.
In December, the national Postsecondary Education Cooperative released its report, “Deciding on Postsecondary Education: Final Report.”
The analysis was qualitative, and not quantitative, but included both a literature review on the topic and an analysis on several minority focus groups. The findings from the focus groups reviewed the various methods minority students use to make informed decisions on their postsecondary education. The students who were interviewed in the focus groups were in the process of searching for a college and making decisions about attending.
In addition, the report focused specifically on underserved students, including minority, low- to moderate- socioeconomic class and students older than 22.
Westat, a contract research organization, conducted both the literature review and the 11 focus groups, which had approximately 90 total participants. The literature review examining over 80 sources revealed that the principal resources for college information came from guidance counselors, media and college brochures/marketing, as well as parents.
In December, the national Postsecondary Education Cooperative released its report, “Deciding on Postsecondary Education: Final Report.”
The analysis was qualitative, and not quantitative, but included both a literature review on the topic and an analysis on several minority focus groups. The findings from the focus groups reviewed the various methods minority students use to make informed decisions on their postsecondary education. The students who were interviewed in the focus groups were in the process of searching for a college and making decisions about attending.
In addition, the report focused specifically on underserved students, including minority, low- to moderate- socioeconomic class and students older than 22.
Westat, a contract research organization, conducted both the literature review and the 11 focus groups, which had approximately 90 total participants. The literature review examining over 80 sources revealed that the principal resources for college information came from guidance counselors, media and college brochures/marketing, as well as parents.
Hispanic Educational-Reform Group Offers Data on Learning Crisis
The Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options, based in Washington, D.C., compiled the following data on what it calls the “Crisis in Latino Education.” The council says its mission is “to improve educational outcomes for Hispanic children by empowering families through parental choice in education.” More information is available at the Web site www.hrcreo.org
What is the Crisis in Latino Education?
· One of every three Hispanic students fails to complete high school.
· 26 percent of Hispanic students in the 8th grade and 34 percent of Hispanic students in the 12th grade reported in 2000 that they had been absent three or more days in the preceding month.
· 13 percent of Hispanic students in kindergarten through 12th grade in 1999 had repeated a grade.
· The dropout rate for Hispanics in 2000 was 28 percent, higher than the 7 percent rate for Whites and the 13 percent rate for Blacks.
· Average scores among Hispanic 9-year-olds were 13 percent below Whites’ scores (a gap of 28 points in 1999, and among 17-year-olds they were 8 percent below Whites’ scores (a gap of 24 points).
· Math performance for Hispanic students was lower than that of White students in mathematics in 1999, but Hispanic 13- and 17-year-olds scored higher than Black 13- and 17-year-olds.
· Fifty-nine percent of Hispanics completed middle-level mathematics courses, 8 percent took low-level courses and 7 percent completed nonacademic or no mathematics courses.
· Hispanics scored below the national average on the SAT in 2001. Hispanics accounted for 9 percent of the SAT-taking population.
Sources:
U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. Status and Trends in the Education of Hispanics.
What is the Crisis in Latino Education?
· One of every three Hispanic students fails to complete high school.
· 26 percent of Hispanic students in the 8th grade and 34 percent of Hispanic students in the 12th grade reported in 2000 that they had been absent three or more days in the preceding month.
· 13 percent of Hispanic students in kindergarten through 12th grade in 1999 had repeated a grade.
· The dropout rate for Hispanics in 2000 was 28 percent, higher than the 7 percent rate for Whites and the 13 percent rate for Blacks.
· Average scores among Hispanic 9-year-olds were 13 percent below Whites’ scores (a gap of 28 points in 1999, and among 17-year-olds they were 8 percent below Whites’ scores (a gap of 24 points).
· Math performance for Hispanic students was lower than that of White students in mathematics in 1999, but Hispanic 13- and 17-year-olds scored higher than Black 13- and 17-year-olds.
· Fifty-nine percent of Hispanics completed middle-level mathematics courses, 8 percent took low-level courses and 7 percent completed nonacademic or no mathematics courses.
· Hispanics scored below the national average on the SAT in 2001. Hispanics accounted for 9 percent of the SAT-taking population.
Sources:
U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. Status and Trends in the Education of Hispanics.
Hispanic Women Pursue Higher Education Despite the Odds, Says Study
Researchers studying “Why Hispanic Undergraduate Women Persist in Higher Education” in spite of intense cultural pressure have concluded that their major reason for going to school was to create a better life for themselves and their families.
The final report by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Alabama at Birmingham will be published shortly.
Dr. Brent Cejda, associate professor and Dr. Sheldon Stick, professor, both in educational administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Dr. Nataliya Ivankova, associate professor in human studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, studied 63 Hispanic college students, both female and male and all U.S. citizens, at Texas Southmost College and the University of Texas at Brownsville.
Poverty, early motherhood and family bonds were some of the key themes that worked against Hispanic women getting and education. Fiercely independent and proud, the women referred to themselves as Hispanic, not Mexican American or American Mexican, the researchers noted."
The final report by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Alabama at Birmingham will be published shortly.
Dr. Brent Cejda, associate professor and Dr. Sheldon Stick, professor, both in educational administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Dr. Nataliya Ivankova, associate professor in human studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, studied 63 Hispanic college students, both female and male and all U.S. citizens, at Texas Southmost College and the University of Texas at Brownsville.
Poverty, early motherhood and family bonds were some of the key themes that worked against Hispanic women getting and education. Fiercely independent and proud, the women referred to themselves as Hispanic, not Mexican American or American Mexican, the researchers noted."
UNCF Adopts New Brand Identity, Without the Word 'Negro'
UNCF Adopts New Brand Identity, Without the Word 'Negro': In its new logo unveiled Thursday, the United Negro College Fund has dropped its full name, opting to go as UNCF as part of a branding strategy that conveys the organization as a contemporary and progressive advocate of Blacks in higher education while also maintaining its heritage.
During the four-year effort to update its logo, UNCF officials heard suggestions that it change its name, Dr. Michael Lomax, UNCF president and CEO, said during a press conference at Spelman College to announce the new brand identity.
“One of the issues in the full name, African-Americans don’t view themselves as Negros,” Lomax said, recounting a conversation in which editors and writers at VIBE magazine told him the name is not “speaking to the hip-hop generation.”
“For most young people, it is a barrier,” Lomax said. “We’ve found the happy medium.”
The organization, which awards scholarships and financial support to 39 private HBCUs, is keeping its legal name even though it’s branding itself as UNCF.
ETS, La Raza Conference: English-language Learners Fastest-growing Segment of U.S. School Population
ETS, La Raza Conference: English-language Learners Fastest-growing Segment of U.S. School Population: Princeton, N.J.
Educators and policy-makers answered the call to attend a two-day conference convened by Educational Testing Service and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) to assess progress in educating students who are not proficient in English when they enter American schools and to discuss research on potential solutions.
The hosts noted that English-language learners are the fastest-growing segment of the student population in U.S. public schools and that the No Child Left Behind law mandates that each state account for the instruction and performance of students learning English and demonstrate that progress is being made.
However, educators have been struggling to find the most effective ways to teach English skills and help immigrant students progress in their academic subjects. Many students who are not proficient in English fall behind in other subjects as well.
The conference “Addressing Achievement Gaps: The Language Acquisition and Education Achievement of English-Language Learners,” was held earlier this week. It attracted 320 participants, including teachers from throughout New Jersey, nearby states and elsewhere, as well as college administrators and other education officials from around the nation.
Educators and policy-makers answered the call to attend a two-day conference convened by Educational Testing Service and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) to assess progress in educating students who are not proficient in English when they enter American schools and to discuss research on potential solutions.
The hosts noted that English-language learners are the fastest-growing segment of the student population in U.S. public schools and that the No Child Left Behind law mandates that each state account for the instruction and performance of students learning English and demonstrate that progress is being made.
However, educators have been struggling to find the most effective ways to teach English skills and help immigrant students progress in their academic subjects. Many students who are not proficient in English fall behind in other subjects as well.
The conference “Addressing Achievement Gaps: The Language Acquisition and Education Achievement of English-Language Learners,” was held earlier this week. It attracted 320 participants, including teachers from throughout New Jersey, nearby states and elsewhere, as well as college administrators and other education officials from around the nation.
Friday, January 18, 2008
MLK Day Events
MLK Day Events
January 20
Columbia- 3:30 pm at Long Reach High School.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commemorative Celebration. Live entertainment, award presentations. Canned good donations accepted
January 21
Rock Hall - 7:30 am Breakfast at the Rock Hall Fire Hall.
Speech, music and awards. Purchase tickets in advance 410-639-7126 or hennessy@dmv.com
Westminster - 10:30 am and 2:00 pm at the Carroll Arts Center in Westminster. MLK Day celebration and showing of “The Rosa Parks Story.”
“I have a Dream” art workshop from 12 pm – 2 pm.
Baltimore City – 12 pm. MLK Parade begins at MLK Blvd and Eutaw St.
Mayor Sheila Dixon, Keion Carpenter, and other leaders of volunteer service organizations will be participating.
Salisbury - 9 am-12 pm at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center in Salisbury. Three hour program open to children from Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester County. Free program magnifies the legacy of King and educate individuals on King's accomplishments.
Bethesda- 1pm at 5701 Marinelli Rd. Various service projects including making bag lunches for shelters, Valentine's Day cards for seniors, placemats for children with life-threatening diseases and much more beginning at 1pm.
Oxford- 7 pm at the Oxford Community Center (200 Oxford Rd.). Celebration to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Guest speaker is Baltimore Sun writer, Gregory Kane. All are welcome to attend.
Hagerstown- 10am-2pm at Hagerstown Community College in the Athletic, Recreation, and Community Center. Marvin Worthy to deliver keynote address. Event will include a dramatic reading of the “I Have a Dream” speech, poetry, musical selections, and a luncheon.
Rockville- 1-3pm volunteer service projects at the Marriot on Rockville Pike (near White Flint metro). 4-6pm musical celebration and tribute at the Strathmore. Reserve free tickets online at www.strathmore.org . (time at the musical celebration and tribute does not count for service learning hours)
January 20
Columbia- 3:30 pm at Long Reach High School.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commemorative Celebration. Live entertainment, award presentations. Canned good donations accepted
January 21
Rock Hall - 7:30 am Breakfast at the Rock Hall Fire Hall.
Speech, music and awards. Purchase tickets in advance 410-639-7126 or hennessy@dmv.com
Westminster - 10:30 am and 2:00 pm at the Carroll Arts Center in Westminster. MLK Day celebration and showing of “The Rosa Parks Story.”
“I have a Dream” art workshop from 12 pm – 2 pm.
Baltimore City – 12 pm. MLK Parade begins at MLK Blvd and Eutaw St.
Mayor Sheila Dixon, Keion Carpenter, and other leaders of volunteer service organizations will be participating.
Salisbury - 9 am-12 pm at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center in Salisbury. Three hour program open to children from Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester County. Free program magnifies the legacy of King and educate individuals on King's accomplishments.
Bethesda- 1pm at 5701 Marinelli Rd. Various service projects including making bag lunches for shelters, Valentine's Day cards for seniors, placemats for children with life-threatening diseases and much more beginning at 1pm.
Oxford- 7 pm at the Oxford Community Center (200 Oxford Rd.). Celebration to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Guest speaker is Baltimore Sun writer, Gregory Kane. All are welcome to attend.
Hagerstown- 10am-2pm at Hagerstown Community College in the Athletic, Recreation, and Community Center. Marvin Worthy to deliver keynote address. Event will include a dramatic reading of the “I Have a Dream” speech, poetry, musical selections, and a luncheon.
Rockville- 1-3pm volunteer service projects at the Marriot on Rockville Pike (near White Flint metro). 4-6pm musical celebration and tribute at the Strathmore. Reserve free tickets online at www.strathmore.org . (time at the musical celebration and tribute does not count for service learning hours)
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
When the Rules Run Up Against Faith - washingtonpost.com
When the Rules Run Up Against Faith - washingtonpost.com: Juashaunna Kelly, a Theodore Roosevelt High School senior who has the fastest mile and two-mile times of any girls' runner in the District this winter, was disqualified from Saturday's Montgomery Invitational indoor track and field meet after officials said her traditional Muslim clothing violated national competition rules.
Kelly, a devout Muslim, was wearing the same uniform she has worn for the past three seasons while running for Theodore Roosevelt's cross-country and track teams: a custom-made one-piece, blue and orange unitard that covers her head, arms, torso and legs. On top of the unitard, Kelly wore the same orange and blue T-shirt and shorts as her teammates.
The outfit allows her to compete while complying with her Muslim faith that forbids displaying any skin other than her face and hands.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Racial harassment still infecting the workplace - Careers- msnbc.com
Racial harassment still infecting the workplace - Careers- msnbc.com: Many of us are marveling at how seemingly far our society has come given a man with an African American heritage is being considered a serious candidate for president. But in the workplace, attitudes toward many black workers are anything but inspiring.
Racial harassment is up to record levels in offices and factories across the country, and we’re not talking just the use of the “N” word. Racist graffiti, Klu Klux Klan propaganda and even physical threats including the display of hangman’s nooses are included among the intimidation tools.
“It is shocking that such egregious and unlawful conduct toward African American employees is still occurring, even increasing, in the 21st century workplace, more than 40 years after enactment of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964,” says David Grinberg, spokesman for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, also known as the EEOC.
Racial harassment cases have more than doubled since the early 1990s, hitting an all-time high of 6,977 in 2007, according to EEOC data. (Blacks file nine out of 10 race harassment charges.) From fiscal 2000 to 2007, the EEOC received 51,000 racial harassment charge filings nationwide, already over the number received during the entire 1990s.
Racial harassment is up to record levels in offices and factories across the country, and we’re not talking just the use of the “N” word. Racist graffiti, Klu Klux Klan propaganda and even physical threats including the display of hangman’s nooses are included among the intimidation tools.
“It is shocking that such egregious and unlawful conduct toward African American employees is still occurring, even increasing, in the 21st century workplace, more than 40 years after enactment of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964,” says David Grinberg, spokesman for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, also known as the EEOC.
Racial harassment cases have more than doubled since the early 1990s, hitting an all-time high of 6,977 in 2007, according to EEOC data. (Blacks file nine out of 10 race harassment charges.) From fiscal 2000 to 2007, the EEOC received 51,000 racial harassment charge filings nationwide, already over the number received during the entire 1990s.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Educational Attainment and Salary Data Released
Educational Attainment and Salary Data Released: More than half of Asians 25 years or older held a bachelor’s degree or more (52 percent) in 2007, compared to 32 percent of non-Hispanic Whites, 19 percent of Blacks and 13 percent of Hispanics, according to new U.S. Census Bureau statistics.
The series of tables released Thursday, Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007, also showed that about 33 percent of women, 25 to 29, had at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to 26 percent of their male counterparts.
The proportion of the foreign-born population with at least a bachelor’s degree was 28 percent, compared to 29 percent of the native population. The proportion of naturalized citizens with a degree was 34 percent.
Workers with a college degree earned more than those with a high school diploma, $56,788 in 2006 to $31,071. Among those with just a high school diploma, Whites had the highest average earnings at $32,931. Asians followed with $29,426, Hispanics $27,508 and Blacks $26,268.
The series of tables released Thursday, Educational Attainment in the United States: 2007, also showed that about 33 percent of women, 25 to 29, had at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to 26 percent of their male counterparts.
The proportion of the foreign-born population with at least a bachelor’s degree was 28 percent, compared to 29 percent of the native population. The proportion of naturalized citizens with a degree was 34 percent.
Workers with a college degree earned more than those with a high school diploma, $56,788 in 2006 to $31,071. Among those with just a high school diploma, Whites had the highest average earnings at $32,931. Asians followed with $29,426, Hispanics $27,508 and Blacks $26,268.
Racial Disparities In Cancer Treatment Persists
The recent efforts to close the gaps in therapy for various kinds of cancer between Black and White Medicare patients have failed, a Yale University study released this week found.
A group of researchers from the Yale School of Medicine sought to determine whether the racial disparities in cancer therapy had diminished since they were originally recognized in the early 1990s. They used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Medicare database to evaluate patients who had been diagnosed with prostate, breast, colorectal and lung cancer between 1992 and 2002 and still found glaring racial gaps in cancer care.
“Efforts to mitigate cancer care disparities between 1992 and 2002 appear to have been unsuccessful,” says Cary P. Gross, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine. “Future efforts to reduce cancer disparities should be incorporated into a larger framework that encompasses access to high-quality comprehensive care for all patients with cancer.”
The report, titled “Racial Disparities in Cancer Therapy: Did the Gap Narrow Between 1992 and 2002?", will appear in the February 15, 2008 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Other authors of the study included Elizabeth Wolf and Martin Andersen at Yale and Benjamin D. Smith, M.D., of Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.
A group of researchers from the Yale School of Medicine sought to determine whether the racial disparities in cancer therapy had diminished since they were originally recognized in the early 1990s. They used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Medicare database to evaluate patients who had been diagnosed with prostate, breast, colorectal and lung cancer between 1992 and 2002 and still found glaring racial gaps in cancer care.
“Efforts to mitigate cancer care disparities between 1992 and 2002 appear to have been unsuccessful,” says Cary P. Gross, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine. “Future efforts to reduce cancer disparities should be incorporated into a larger framework that encompasses access to high-quality comprehensive care for all patients with cancer.”
The report, titled “Racial Disparities in Cancer Therapy: Did the Gap Narrow Between 1992 and 2002?", will appear in the February 15, 2008 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Other authors of the study included Elizabeth Wolf and Martin Andersen at Yale and Benjamin D. Smith, M.D., of Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Microsoft’s Gates Pledges Software to Campus Chapters of Black Engineering Society
REDMOND, WASH.
Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft Corp., last month announced that Microsoft will donate developer software to all National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) educational chapters in the United States. Gates made the announcement during a regional NSBE fall conference that was held in Redmond.
The software grant is providing 270 NSBE educational chapters with a three-year membership subscription to the Microsoft Developer Network Academic Alliance. With memberships, faculty and student NSBE chapter members will have access to more than 100 Microsoft software products. The widely used software includes design and development tools such as Microsoft Visual Studio; client and server operating system platforms such as Microsoft Windows Server and Windows Vista; and platform servers such as Microsoft SQL Server.
“At Microsoft, we recognize that a work force made up of smart people from different backgrounds and with different perspectives is what drives innovation. That is why Microsoft is deeply committed to working with the NSBE to foster diversity in the IT field by supporting programs that create educational opportunities and encourage African-American students to explore careers in science and technology,” Gates said.
Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft Corp., last month announced that Microsoft will donate developer software to all National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) educational chapters in the United States. Gates made the announcement during a regional NSBE fall conference that was held in Redmond.
The software grant is providing 270 NSBE educational chapters with a three-year membership subscription to the Microsoft Developer Network Academic Alliance. With memberships, faculty and student NSBE chapter members will have access to more than 100 Microsoft software products. The widely used software includes design and development tools such as Microsoft Visual Studio; client and server operating system platforms such as Microsoft Windows Server and Windows Vista; and platform servers such as Microsoft SQL Server.
“At Microsoft, we recognize that a work force made up of smart people from different backgrounds and with different perspectives is what drives innovation. That is why Microsoft is deeply committed to working with the NSBE to foster diversity in the IT field by supporting programs that create educational opportunities and encourage African-American students to explore careers in science and technology,” Gates said.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
NJ becomes first Northern state to apologize for slavery - Breaking News From New Jersey - NJ.com
NJ becomes first Northern state to apologize for slavery - Breaking News From New Jersey - NJ.com: New Jersey tonight became the first Northern state to apologize for slavery.
The Assembly voted 59-8 and the Senate 29-2 to approve a resolution expressing 'profound regret' for New Jersey's role in slavery. A resolution expresses the Legislature's opinion without requiring action by the governor.
'This resolution does nothing more than say New Jersey is sorry about its shameful past,' said Assemblyman William Payne, D-Essex, who sponsored the measure.
The resolution offers an apology 'for the wrongs inflicted by slavery and its aftereffects in the United States of America.'
It states that in New Jersey, 'the vestiges of slavery are ever before African-American citizens, from the overt racism of hate groups to the subtle racism encountered when requesting health care, transacting business, buying a home, seeking quality public education and college admission, and enduring pretextual traffic stops and other indignities.'
Opponents said the apology was a meaningless gesture.
Legislators in Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia have issued formal apologies for slavery.
The Assembly voted 59-8 and the Senate 29-2 to approve a resolution expressing 'profound regret' for New Jersey's role in slavery. A resolution expresses the Legislature's opinion without requiring action by the governor.
'This resolution does nothing more than say New Jersey is sorry about its shameful past,' said Assemblyman William Payne, D-Essex, who sponsored the measure.
The resolution offers an apology 'for the wrongs inflicted by slavery and its aftereffects in the United States of America.'
It states that in New Jersey, 'the vestiges of slavery are ever before African-American citizens, from the overt racism of hate groups to the subtle racism encountered when requesting health care, transacting business, buying a home, seeking quality public education and college admission, and enduring pretextual traffic stops and other indignities.'
Opponents said the apology was a meaningless gesture.
Legislators in Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia have issued formal apologies for slavery.
Scott E. Page - In Professor's Model, Diversity Equals Productivity - New York Times
Scott E. Page - In Professor's Model, Diversity Equals Productivity - New York Times: In the long-running debate on affirmative action, Scott E. Page, a professor of complex systems, political science and economics at the University of Michigan, is a fresh voice.
His recently published book, “The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools and Societies” (Princeton University Press), uses mathematical modeling and case studies to show how variety in staffing produces organizational strength.
Rather than ponder moral questions like, “Why can’t we all get along?” Dr. Page asks practical ones like, “How can we all be more productive together?” The answer, he suggests, is in messy, creative organizations and environments with individuals from vastly different backgrounds and life experiences.
“New York City is the perfect example of diversity functioning well,” he said in an interview. “It’s an exciting place that produces lots of innovation and creativity. It’s not a coincidence that New York has so much energy and also so much diversity.”
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Baltimore's African American Heritage and Attractions Guide :: Black History
Baltimore's African American Heritage and Attractions Guide :: Black History:
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade January 21, 2008
This Baltimore event commemorates the birth of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., noon, Monday, January 21, steps off at Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Eutaw Street, and travels south on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
Black History Month Exhibition at the Top of the World Observation Level February 1 through February 29, 2008
An art exhibition by various artists in honor of Black History Month, February 1-29, Top of the World Observation Level, 27th floor of the World Trade Center, 401 E. Pratt Street, 410-837-VIEW."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade January 21, 2008
This Baltimore event commemorates the birth of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., noon, Monday, January 21, steps off at Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Eutaw Street, and travels south on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
Black History Month Exhibition at the Top of the World Observation Level February 1 through February 29, 2008
An art exhibition by various artists in honor of Black History Month, February 1-29, Top of the World Observation Level, 27th floor of the World Trade Center, 401 E. Pratt Street, 410-837-VIEW."
Friday, January 04, 2008
WASHINGTON Lockheed to pay in discrimination case | Santa Rosa Press Democrat // News for California's North Bay and Redwood Empire
WASHINGTON Lockheed to pay in discrimination case | Santa Rosa Press Democrat // News for California's North Bay and Redwood Empire: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Wednesday announced its largest-ever settlement for an individual racial discrimination case -- $2.5 million -- against Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, Md.
Lockheed agreed to pay Charles Daniels, a black aviation electrician who claimed he was subjected to racial epithets and threatened with bodily harm by white employees while repairing military aircraft.
Daniels, 45, "was the target of persistent verbal abuse by coworkers and a supervisor whose racial slurs and offensive language included calling him the N-word, and saying, 'We should do to blacks what Hitler did to the Jews,' and if the South had won then this would be a better country," the EEOC said in a statement. "Daniels was also subjected to multiple physical threats, such as lynching and death threats after he reported the harassment."
The harassment and threats took place throughout the time Daniels worked at Lockheed plants in Florida, Washington state and Hawaii.
The EEOC said Lockheed "failed to discipline the harassers and instead allowed the discrimination against Daniels to continue unabated during his two-year tenure even though the company was aware of the unlawful conduct."
Lockheed agreed to pay Charles Daniels, a black aviation electrician who claimed he was subjected to racial epithets and threatened with bodily harm by white employees while repairing military aircraft.
Daniels, 45, "was the target of persistent verbal abuse by coworkers and a supervisor whose racial slurs and offensive language included calling him the N-word, and saying, 'We should do to blacks what Hitler did to the Jews,' and if the South had won then this would be a better country," the EEOC said in a statement. "Daniels was also subjected to multiple physical threats, such as lynching and death threats after he reported the harassment."
The harassment and threats took place throughout the time Daniels worked at Lockheed plants in Florida, Washington state and Hawaii.
The EEOC said Lockheed "failed to discipline the harassers and instead allowed the discrimination against Daniels to continue unabated during his two-year tenure even though the company was aware of the unlawful conduct."
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
cbs5.com - Study: Whites Get Pain Meds More Than Minorities
cbs5.com - Study: Whites Get Pain Meds More Than Minorities: CHICAGO (AP) ― Emergency room doctors are prescribing strong narcotics more often to patients who complain of pain, but minorities are less likely to get them than whites, a new study finds.
Even for the severe pain of kidney stones, minorities were prescribed narcotics such as oxycodone and morphine less frequently than whites.
The analysis of more than 150,000 emergency room visits over 13 years found differences in prescribing by race in both urban and rural hospitals, in all U.S. regions and for every type of pain.
'The gaps between whites and nonwhites have not appeared to close at all,' said study co-author Dr. Mark Pletcher of the University of California, San Francisco.
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