Hispanic Theologian Chosen for Vatican Ambassador: An Hispanic Roman Catholic theologian who was an adviser to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign will be nominated to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, the White House announced Wednesday.
Dr. Miguel H. Diaz, 45, an associate professor of theology at the College of Saint Benedict and St. John's University in St. Joseph, Minn., would be the first Hispanic to serve as ambassador to the Vatican since the United States and the Holy See established full diplomatic ties in 1984. Diaz was born in Havana.
The announcement comes in the same week President Obama nominated federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor, who was raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools, to the Supreme Court. She would be the high court's first Hispanic justice."
Friday, May 29, 2009
NCAA Women of Color Symposium Launches Recruitment and Retention Strategy Campaign
NCAA Women of Color Symposium Launches Recruitment and Retention Strategy Campaign: A recent NCAA report showed that ethnic minority women make up only 1.6 percent of athletic directors at institutions involved in intercollegiate athletics at the Division I, II and III levels – including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Drop HBCUs from the equation and the rate falls under 1 percent.
While the NCAA has long advocated for change and greater representation for women and minorities in authority positions – such as athletic directors, head coaches and leadership positions at athletic conferences – the approach has changed since Charlotte Westerhaus was appointed vice president for diversity and inclusion in 2005. Prior to the Westerhaus appointment, the NCAA engaged its leadership in discussions. She changed the focus to the grassroots.
The most recent crucial step in the process took place at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis when the NCAA co-hosted the Women of Color Symposium with the Black Women in Sport Foundation (BWSF) earlier this month. Symposium participants are now working together to develop recommendations for attracting and retaining women of color in leadership positions throughout intercollegiate athletics, which will be distributed in late summer or early fall.
“We identified things like lack of mentoring, gender role expectations and tokenism,” Westerhaus said.
While the NCAA has long advocated for change and greater representation for women and minorities in authority positions – such as athletic directors, head coaches and leadership positions at athletic conferences – the approach has changed since Charlotte Westerhaus was appointed vice president for diversity and inclusion in 2005. Prior to the Westerhaus appointment, the NCAA engaged its leadership in discussions. She changed the focus to the grassroots.
The most recent crucial step in the process took place at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis when the NCAA co-hosted the Women of Color Symposium with the Black Women in Sport Foundation (BWSF) earlier this month. Symposium participants are now working together to develop recommendations for attracting and retaining women of color in leadership positions throughout intercollegiate athletics, which will be distributed in late summer or early fall.
“We identified things like lack of mentoring, gender role expectations and tokenism,” Westerhaus said.
Multiracial People Now Fastest Growing U.S. Group : NPR
Multiracial People Now Fastest Growing U.S. Group : NPR: Multiracial Americans have become the fastest growing demographic group, wielding an impact on minority growth that challenges traditional notions of race.
The number of multiracial people rose 3.4 percent last year to about 5.2 million, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates. First given the option in 2000, Americans who check more than one box for race on census surveys have jumped by 33 percent. They now make up 5 percent of the minority population — with millions more believed to be uncounted.
Demographers attributed the recent population growth to more social acceptance and slowing immigration. They cited in particular the high public profiles of Tiger Woods and President Obama, a self-described 'mutt,' who are having an effect on those who might self-identify as multiracial.
Population figures as of July 2008 show that California, Texas, New York and Florida had the most multiracial people, due partly to higher numbers of second- and later-generation immigrants who are more likely to 'marry out.' Measured by percentages, Hawaii ranked first with nearly 1 in 5 residents who were multiracial, followed by Alaska and Oklahoma, both at roughly 4 percent.
Utah had the highest growth rate of multiracial people in 2008 compared with the previous year, a reflection of increasing social openness in a mostly white state.
The number of multiracial people rose 3.4 percent last year to about 5.2 million, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates. First given the option in 2000, Americans who check more than one box for race on census surveys have jumped by 33 percent. They now make up 5 percent of the minority population — with millions more believed to be uncounted.
Demographers attributed the recent population growth to more social acceptance and slowing immigration. They cited in particular the high public profiles of Tiger Woods and President Obama, a self-described 'mutt,' who are having an effect on those who might self-identify as multiracial.
Population figures as of July 2008 show that California, Texas, New York and Florida had the most multiracial people, due partly to higher numbers of second- and later-generation immigrants who are more likely to 'marry out.' Measured by percentages, Hawaii ranked first with nearly 1 in 5 residents who were multiracial, followed by Alaska and Oklahoma, both at roughly 4 percent.
Utah had the highest growth rate of multiracial people in 2008 compared with the previous year, a reflection of increasing social openness in a mostly white state.
Tuskegee President To Deliver Lincoln Memorial Rededication Address
Tuskegee President To Deliver Lincoln Memorial Rededication Address: Tuskegee University president, Dr. Benjamin F. Payton, will deliver the principal address this weekend at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., to rededicate the monument in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln.
Payton, the fifth president of historic Tuskegee University, is expected to speak about 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 30, during a rededication ceremony sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The memorial, which millions of tourists visit annually, was constructed on the National Mall to honor Lincoln, the 16th U.S. president. The rededication event will serve as the culmination of a three-part series of events held at the memorial in the Lincoln bicentennial year.
“This historic invitation and recognition underscores the continuing vitality of Abraham Lincoln in the life of the nation,” Payton said.
Payton, the fifth president of historic Tuskegee University, is expected to speak about 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 30, during a rededication ceremony sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The memorial, which millions of tourists visit annually, was constructed on the National Mall to honor Lincoln, the 16th U.S. president. The rededication event will serve as the culmination of a three-part series of events held at the memorial in the Lincoln bicentennial year.
“This historic invitation and recognition underscores the continuing vitality of Abraham Lincoln in the life of the nation,” Payton said.
Taking On the Stereotypes: Asian American Basketball Player Excels on the Court
Taking On the Stereotypes: Asian American Basketball Player Excels on the Court: After leading his high school basketball team to a state title averaging 15 points a game, the 6-foot-3-inch, 200-pound young man hoped to draw some Division I college scholarship offers.
But none came.
He went on to join Harvard University's team. There, his stellar play the past three seasons has earned him national media attention, an array of accolades, and the unplanned role as a model for other Asian Americans.
Meet Jeremy Lin. He's one of only a handful of U.S. Asian male college basketball players, which he and others attribute in part to social stereotypes that paint Asians as lacking athletic prowess.
“It definitely gives me more motivation,” he says. “I play with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder.”
Nationally, Asian Americans make up less than 1 percent of men's Division I basketball players, according to the most recent NCAA Student-Athlete Race and Ethnicity Report. The numbers among Division II and III are not much higher.
Only 19 Asian men – including Lin – played on Division I teams during 2006-2007, for instance. And, since 1999-2000, that figure has never been more than 27 a year but usually far fewer.
But none came.
He went on to join Harvard University's team. There, his stellar play the past three seasons has earned him national media attention, an array of accolades, and the unplanned role as a model for other Asian Americans.
Meet Jeremy Lin. He's one of only a handful of U.S. Asian male college basketball players, which he and others attribute in part to social stereotypes that paint Asians as lacking athletic prowess.
“It definitely gives me more motivation,” he says. “I play with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder.”
Nationally, Asian Americans make up less than 1 percent of men's Division I basketball players, according to the most recent NCAA Student-Athlete Race and Ethnicity Report. The numbers among Division II and III are not much higher.
Only 19 Asian men – including Lin – played on Division I teams during 2006-2007, for instance. And, since 1999-2000, that figure has never been more than 27 a year but usually far fewer.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sotomayor's Nomination Reaffirms National Identity of U.S. Latinos, Scholars Say
Sotomayor's Nomination Reaffirms National Identity of U.S. Latinos, Scholars Say: The morning President Barack Obama introduced federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor as his Supreme Court nominee, Dr. Ruth E. Zambrana, a professor in the University of Maryland-College Park Women's Studies department, received numerous phone calls from gleeful colleagues. Zambrana and her peers were elated with the news of Sotomayor's nomination, Zambrana said.
If the U.S. Senate confirms Obama's nomination, which is the first by a Democratic president in 15 years, Sotomayor, 54, will become the first Hispanic, the third woman, and the sixth Catholic to join the highest court of the land.
Zambrana, who is also interim director of the U.S. Latino Studies (USLT) initiative at the University of Maryland and author of the upcoming book, U.S. Latino Families and Communities in Transformation, said Obama's choice reaffirms the national identity of Latino Americans.
If the U.S. Senate confirms Obama's nomination, which is the first by a Democratic president in 15 years, Sotomayor, 54, will become the first Hispanic, the third woman, and the sixth Catholic to join the highest court of the land.
Zambrana, who is also interim director of the U.S. Latino Studies (USLT) initiative at the University of Maryland and author of the upcoming book, U.S. Latino Families and Communities in Transformation, said Obama's choice reaffirms the national identity of Latino Americans.
Black Harvard student: Racism part of campus ban - washingtonpost.com
Black Harvard student: Racism part of campus ban - washingtonpost.com: BOSTON -- A black Harvard University senior who lives in the dorm where a campus visitor was fatally shot says school officials ordered her out of the building and told her she could not graduate, singling her out because of her race.
Chanequa Campbell, of New York, is a friend of the shooting suspect's girlfriend, another Harvard student, but has no connection to the suspect or the victim, her attorney, Jeffrey Karp, told The Associated Press.
She was ordered off campus Friday with little notice and without being told why, Karp said. She was allowed to gather only a few personal belongings from her room after receiving a no-trespassing order, he said.
'There is no citation to the student code, no citation to any law, no citation to any facts,' he said.
Chanequa Campbell, of New York, is a friend of the shooting suspect's girlfriend, another Harvard student, but has no connection to the suspect or the victim, her attorney, Jeffrey Karp, told The Associated Press.
She was ordered off campus Friday with little notice and without being told why, Karp said. She was allowed to gather only a few personal belongings from her room after receiving a no-trespassing order, he said.
'There is no citation to the student code, no citation to any law, no citation to any facts,' he said.
Harvard spokesman Robert Mitchell said in a statement that the school does not comment on an individual student's status.
Campbell, a sociology major, lived in the dorm where 21-year-old Justin Cosby, a former Salem State College student, was killed May 18 in what authorities say was a drug-related robbery attempt. Jabrai Jordan Copney, a 20-year-old songwriter from New York City, has been charged with murder.
No one else has been charged in the case, but authorities are looking for two other men they think were involved in the confrontation.
Obama Hails Judge as ‘Inspiring’ - NYTimes.com
Obama Hails Judge as ‘Inspiring’ - NYTimes.com: WASHINGTON — President Obama announced Tuesday that he would nominate Sonia Sotomayor, a federal appeals judge in New York, to the Supreme Court, choosing a daughter of Puerto Rican parents who was raised in a Bronx public housing project to become the nation’s first Hispanic justice.
In making his first pick for the court, Mr. Obama emphasized Judge Sotomayor’s “extraordinary journey” from modest beginnings to the Ivy League and now the pinnacle of the judicial system. Casting her as the embodiment of the American dream, he touched off a confirmation battle that he hopes to wage over biography more than ideology.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sotomayor Selection Creates a Puff of Pride - NYTimes.com
Sotomayor Selection Creates a Puff of Pride - NYTimes.com: MIAMI — The lunch crowd at El Palacio de Los Jugos on Tuesday could not agree on the appropriate level of excitement. Cubans, Colombians, Dominicans — they all said they were pleased to hear Judge Sonia Sotomayor accept her selection for the United States Supreme Court with a speech that included the rolling “r’s” of her Puerto Rican roots.
But do not assume that Judge Sotomayor’s identity will define her, said Luis Home, 35, a Colombian-American technology recruiter. “It’s like saying if you’re Hispanic, you’re going to be a superhero for Hispanics. That’s not true.”
Mr. Home’s friend, Amaury Lendeborg, 30, disagreed, somewhat. “A cultural connection will always win,” said Mr. Lendeborg, a Dominican-American.
And so the debate begins.
In restaurants, homes and offices across the country, Hispanics responded to Judge Sotomayor’s selection with a puff of pride, some gratitude and considerable discussion. In interviews in Miami, Los Angeles and New York, many said this kind of recognition from Washington — Democratic or Republican — was long overdue given the growing size of the Hispanic voting bloc.
The hope, they said, is that her hardscrabble life and accomplishments will add prestige to the public image and self-image of Hispanics.
Diversity on the Bench
Diversity on the Bench: If President Barack Obama wants to make the Supreme Court more diverse, he has a wider range of options than any of his predecessors. When Ronald Reagan was president, only about 40 women served on the federal bench, the most common source of Supreme Court nominees.
Today, more than 200 women hold federal judgeships, along with 88 African-Americans, 60 Hispanics and eight Asian Americans.
All but four of the 110 Supreme Court justices in the nation's history have been white men. Two are African-American men, Clarence Thomas and the late Thurgood Marshall, and two are white women, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O'Connor.
There has never been a Hispanic, Asian American or Native American justice.
Ginsburg is the only female justice at the moment and most of the candidates whom Obama is considering are women.
The president also has a much wider range of experienced lawyers to draw from than Reagan did when he reached down to a midlevel appeals court in Arizona to nominate O'Connor.
Today, more than 200 women hold federal judgeships, along with 88 African-Americans, 60 Hispanics and eight Asian Americans.
All but four of the 110 Supreme Court justices in the nation's history have been white men. Two are African-American men, Clarence Thomas and the late Thurgood Marshall, and two are white women, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O'Connor.
There has never been a Hispanic, Asian American or Native American justice.
Ginsburg is the only female justice at the moment and most of the candidates whom Obama is considering are women.
The president also has a much wider range of experienced lawyers to draw from than Reagan did when he reached down to a midlevel appeals court in Arizona to nominate O'Connor.
UVA Diversity Chief Appointed Top Post at International Reading Association
UVA Diversity Chief Appointed Top Post at International Reading Association: Known for his expertise on diversity in postsecondary institutions, Dr. William B. Harvey, the University of Virginia’s vice president and chief officer for diversity and equity, will employ his aptitude in a different arena when he assumes the executive director position at The International Reading Association (IRA) on Aug. 1, 2009.
During his four years at UVA, Harvey helped recruit and retain faculty, staff and students from historically underrepresented groups. Now, as the incoming leader for the IRA, Harvey will be promoting literacy instruction and research for students who are often underserved.
“IRA, in my mind, has the capacity to do a tremendous amount of good for untold numbers of people around the world,' Harvey said in an official statement. 'I'm greatly excited about the opportunity to provide direction and leadership, and I hope the best days of the association are ahead of us.'
During his four years at UVA, Harvey helped recruit and retain faculty, staff and students from historically underrepresented groups. Now, as the incoming leader for the IRA, Harvey will be promoting literacy instruction and research for students who are often underserved.
“IRA, in my mind, has the capacity to do a tremendous amount of good for untold numbers of people around the world,' Harvey said in an official statement. 'I'm greatly excited about the opportunity to provide direction and leadership, and I hope the best days of the association are ahead of us.'
Sotomayor Nomination Unites Hispanics - washingtonpost.com
Sotomayor Nomination Unites Hispanics - washingtonpost.com: Sometime soon, Hispanics in the United States will once again subdivide into conservatives and liberals, natives and recent immigrants, Cuban Americans, Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans. Some will support the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court; others will oppose it. Some will monitor the daily details of her confirmation process; others will lose interest.
But for at least a few hours yesterday, America's largest ethnic minority seemed largely united in appreciation of a historic benchmark. At 10:17 a.m., President Obama nominated Sotomayor, a New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent who calls herself a "Newyorkrican," to become the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court. Most of the country's 45 million Hispanics knew little or nothing about her, but those who heard of her appointment shared a collective reaction:
Finally. One of us.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Asian American leads Latino district in California
Asian American leads Latino district in California: In an election that highlighted America's fluid racial landscape, an Asian American candidate emerged as the leading contender to fill a U.S. House seat in an overwhelmingly Hispanic district.
Democrat Judy Chu topped a field of 12 candidates Tuesday, making her the favorite to claim the seat in a July runoff. Democrats hold a more than 2-1 registration edge in the district.
If elected, she would be Southern California's only Asian American in Congress.
Voters looked beyond racial and ethnic identity and ``made their decisions based on who was best qualified and who had the deepest roots in the district,'' Chu said. ``I just think people heard my message about being a coalition builder.''
With all percent of precincts reporting, Chu had 31.9 percent, followed by fellow Democrat Gil Cedillo, a Hispanic state senator, with 23.4 percent.
Because no candidate cleared a majority, the top finishers in each party advance to a July 14 runoff.
Democrat Judy Chu topped a field of 12 candidates Tuesday, making her the favorite to claim the seat in a July runoff. Democrats hold a more than 2-1 registration edge in the district.
If elected, she would be Southern California's only Asian American in Congress.
Voters looked beyond racial and ethnic identity and ``made their decisions based on who was best qualified and who had the deepest roots in the district,'' Chu said. ``I just think people heard my message about being a coalition builder.''
With all percent of precincts reporting, Chu had 31.9 percent, followed by fellow Democrat Gil Cedillo, a Hispanic state senator, with 23.4 percent.
Because no candidate cleared a majority, the top finishers in each party advance to a July 14 runoff.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Mathematizing for Empowerment
TODOS: Mathematics for ALL and the Benjamin Banneker Association—both NCTM Affiliates—support giving students opportunities to engage in rich and rigorous mathematics. However, teachers often have difficulty in finding examples of how to engage students who are typically underrepresented in mathematics classrooms in meaningful, rigorous mathematics. To help all students learn mathematics, teachers must first break down the barriers that prevent them from learning. Some students find the mathematics presented in the classroom uninteresting, irrelevant, or disconnected from their everyday lives. It is important for the context to be accessible and make sense to students. This means that the mathematics should draw on the cultural and social capital that diverse students bring to the classroom.
Opportunities for culturally relevant teaching can be found in almost any everyday experience. For example, in the current economic downturn, everyone is trying to stretch a dollar. It is important to understand the power that someone holds in choosing where to spend his or her money. The ability to “do the math” becomes empowerment as individuals make informed decisions about their lives. Teachers can pose everyday problems to help students mathematize their experiences. Mathematizing is the ability to identify the relationships and quantities that exist in specific contexts. When students work in everyday contexts on activities such as comparing the prices of consumer products to make better economic decisions, they discover that they can generate an abundance of mathematics and data to advocate for social justice.
Opportunities for culturally relevant teaching can be found in almost any everyday experience. For example, in the current economic downturn, everyone is trying to stretch a dollar. It is important to understand the power that someone holds in choosing where to spend his or her money. The ability to “do the math” becomes empowerment as individuals make informed decisions about their lives. Teachers can pose everyday problems to help students mathematize their experiences. Mathematizing is the ability to identify the relationships and quantities that exist in specific contexts. When students work in everyday contexts on activities such as comparing the prices of consumer products to make better economic decisions, they discover that they can generate an abundance of mathematics and data to advocate for social justice.
First Black Mayor in City Known for Klan Killings - NYTimes.com
First Black Mayor in City Known for Klan Killings - NYTimes.com: The city of Philadelphia, Miss., where members of the Ku Klux Klan killed three civil rights workers in 1964 in one of the era’s most infamous acts, on Tuesday elected its first black mayor.
James A. Young, a Pentecostal minister and former county supervisor, narrowly beat the incumbent, Rayburn Waddell, in the Democratic primary. There is no Republican challenger.
The results, announced Wednesday night, were a turning point for a mostly white city of 7,300 people in east-central Mississippi still haunted by the killings, which captured front-page headlines across the nation and were featured in the 1988 film “Mississippi Burning.”
“This shows a complete change of attitude and a desire to move forward,” said Mr. Young, 53, a Philadelphia native who integrated the local elementary school as the only black student in his sixth-grade class in the mid-1960s. “When I campaigned, the signs on the doors said, ‘Welcome,’ and I actually felt welcome.”
Mississippi has the largest number of black elected officials in the country, but they rarely come from majority-white electorates, said Joseph Crespino, an expert in Mississippi history at Emory University. Mr. Crespino called Mr. Young’s victory “remarkable.”
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Volunteer Service Capacity Bill May Benefit MSIs
Volunteer Service Capacity Bill May Benefit MSIs: The Kennedy Serve America Act would create a variety of programs, including an Education Corps to help low-income youth improve educational achievement.
An ambitious national service bill signed into law by President Barack Obama may bring major benefits to minority-serving institutions as well as current — and future — low-income college students.
The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act would more than triple the number of AmeriCorps volunteers from 75,000 to 250,000 and create, among other initiatives, an Education Corps to help low-income youth stay in school and increase achievement. The bill also will create Youth Engagement Zones, or service learning programs, to help high school students and out-of-school youth address issues facing low-income communities, such as homelessness, blight, and a lack of opportunity."
An ambitious national service bill signed into law by President Barack Obama may bring major benefits to minority-serving institutions as well as current — and future — low-income college students.
The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act would more than triple the number of AmeriCorps volunteers from 75,000 to 250,000 and create, among other initiatives, an Education Corps to help low-income youth stay in school and increase achievement. The bill also will create Youth Engagement Zones, or service learning programs, to help high school students and out-of-school youth address issues facing low-income communities, such as homelessness, blight, and a lack of opportunity."
Senate Confirms Former Idaho AG for Indian Affairs
Senate Confirms Former Idaho AG for Indian Affairs: An American Indian who served as Idaho attorney general is the new head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The Senate this week confirmed Larry EchoHawk, a law professor at Brigham Young University and a member of the Pawnee tribe, as Assistant Interior Secretary for Indian Affairs. President Barack Obama nominated EchoHawk for the post last month.
EchoHawk, 60, was elected Idaho attorney general in 1990 — the first American Indian ever elected as a state attorney general. He had served as a county prosecutor and two terms in the Idaho House of Representatives before that. EchoHawk was the Democratic nominee for Idaho governor in 1994, losing to Republican Phil Batt by less than 35,000 votes.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said EchoHawk has the leadership abilities, legal expertise and experience to help carry out Obama's commitment to build stronger Indian economies and safer Indian communities.
The Senate this week confirmed Larry EchoHawk, a law professor at Brigham Young University and a member of the Pawnee tribe, as Assistant Interior Secretary for Indian Affairs. President Barack Obama nominated EchoHawk for the post last month.
EchoHawk, 60, was elected Idaho attorney general in 1990 — the first American Indian ever elected as a state attorney general. He had served as a county prosecutor and two terms in the Idaho House of Representatives before that. EchoHawk was the Democratic nominee for Idaho governor in 1994, losing to Republican Phil Batt by less than 35,000 votes.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said EchoHawk has the leadership abilities, legal expertise and experience to help carry out Obama's commitment to build stronger Indian economies and safer Indian communities.
Duncan Brings Obama Agenda to Congress
Duncan Brings Obama Agenda to Congress: President Barack Obama’s goals of more college financial aid and an end to high school “dropout factories” will significantly increase opportunities for minority students, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told Congress on Wednesday.
In his first Capitol Hill appearance to outline the administration’s agenda, Duncan told members of the House Education and Labor Committee that proposed new investments in Pell Grants, campus-based Perkins Loans and work-study will help low-income students attend college. “We have to make college more affordable,” he said.
Another key Obama goal is that the U.S. lead the world in the proportion of college graduates by 2020. To support that aim, Duncan said, the administration is proposing an additional $17 billion to raise the maximum Pell Grant while work-study would receive an extra $200 million. Perkins Loans would increase from $1 billion to $6 billion."
In his first Capitol Hill appearance to outline the administration’s agenda, Duncan told members of the House Education and Labor Committee that proposed new investments in Pell Grants, campus-based Perkins Loans and work-study will help low-income students attend college. “We have to make college more affordable,” he said.
Another key Obama goal is that the U.S. lead the world in the proportion of college graduates by 2020. To support that aim, Duncan said, the administration is proposing an additional $17 billion to raise the maximum Pell Grant while work-study would receive an extra $200 million. Perkins Loans would increase from $1 billion to $6 billion."
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
GAO report: Special-needs kids abused in schools - CNN.com
GAO report: Special-needs kids abused in schools - CNN.com: (CNN) -- Congressional auditors have uncovered widespread abuse of techniques use to restrain or discipline special-education students in U.S. schools, with some deaths linked to the practices, a top congressman says.
The findings are among those expected from a Government Accountability Office report scheduled to be released Tuesday. The report documented serious problems with the way children with disabilities are being treated in public schools, including cases of children being held face-down on the ground.
The GAO report was prepared for the House Education and Labor Committee, which is considering new laws governing what actions teachers can take to rein in disruptive special-needs students.
"I think what we're going to hear from the GAO is that very often, special-need children are subjected to the policies of seclusion and policies of restraint that have turned out to be lethal in a number of circumstances," said Rep. George Miller, D-California, the committee's chairman.
In other cases, children as young as 6 have been locked away "for hours at a time," Miller said.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Navajos Largely Unscathed By Recession
Navajos Largely Unscathed By Recession: Talk at the community center in this small Navajo town is not as focused on the economy as it is in many places off the reservation.
That's because the people living on the largest American Indian reservation have been largely unscathed by the recession.
Most Navajos own their own homes, tend not to invest in the stock market, and have long had difficulties borrowing money, distinguishing them from millions of other Americans who have suffered from rising mortgage payments, sinking 401(K) retirement accounts, and stricter terms from lenders.
And with half of the Navajo Nation's workforce unemployed long before this latest recession hit, there is not much fear the job situation could get much worse on the reservation.
“They're freaking out out there, but, to us, we've always had 50 percent unemployment,” said John C. Whiterock, a Navajo youth pastor. “To us, that's just part of life.”
That's not to say the 200,000 people who live on the largest American Indian reservation, which extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, have escaped untouched. Tribal officials are wrangling over how to address a $25 million budget shortfall, and requests for social services have prompted newspaper ads for more employees to handle them.
That's because the people living on the largest American Indian reservation have been largely unscathed by the recession.
Most Navajos own their own homes, tend not to invest in the stock market, and have long had difficulties borrowing money, distinguishing them from millions of other Americans who have suffered from rising mortgage payments, sinking 401(K) retirement accounts, and stricter terms from lenders.
And with half of the Navajo Nation's workforce unemployed long before this latest recession hit, there is not much fear the job situation could get much worse on the reservation.
“They're freaking out out there, but, to us, we've always had 50 percent unemployment,” said John C. Whiterock, a Navajo youth pastor. “To us, that's just part of life.”
That's not to say the 200,000 people who live on the largest American Indian reservation, which extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, have escaped untouched. Tribal officials are wrangling over how to address a $25 million budget shortfall, and requests for social services have prompted newspaper ads for more employees to handle them.
FCC Reviewing Arbitron's New Radio Ratings Device - washingtonpost.com
FCC Reviewing Arbitron's New Radio Ratings Device - washingtonpost.com: The Federal Communications Commission yesterday launched a review into whether a Columbia-based broadcast research firm undercounts minority radio listeners.
In a notice of inquiry, the FCC said broadcasters and media organizations have raised concerns that Arbitron does not include enough minorities in its sample groups, which are used to determine radio audience ratings. The FCC said it is also looking into complaints that Arbitron does not distribute enough of its measuring devices in African American and Hispanic communities. As a result, critics say, minority audiences are undercounted and the stations they listen to most frequently have a harder time competing for advertisers.
Acting FCC Chairman Michael J. Copps said in a statement that the FCC launched the review of Arbitron's radio measuring technology, called Portable People Meter, based on complaints from broadcasters and because the agency relies on Arbitron's data for its own analyses.
In a notice of inquiry, the FCC said broadcasters and media organizations have raised concerns that Arbitron does not include enough minorities in its sample groups, which are used to determine radio audience ratings. The FCC said it is also looking into complaints that Arbitron does not distribute enough of its measuring devices in African American and Hispanic communities. As a result, critics say, minority audiences are undercounted and the stations they listen to most frequently have a harder time competing for advertisers.
Acting FCC Chairman Michael J. Copps said in a statement that the FCC launched the review of Arbitron's radio measuring technology, called Portable People Meter, based on complaints from broadcasters and because the agency relies on Arbitron's data for its own analyses.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Study: Race disparities worsen among higher-paying jobs
Downturn hurts blacks, Hispanics more, analyst says.
Census data released Monday show an increasingly educated U.S. work force whose earnings didn't always seem to match up with its potential.
"The lesson of most economic downturns is minorities are the last hired, first fired. They lose jobs more quickly, and they will be the last to recover," said Roderick Harrison, a demographer at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a think tank that studies minority issues.
Blacks overall slightly narrowed the gap in 2007 with whites in average salary, but the pay disparity widened for blacks with college degrees. Black workers with a four-year bachelor's degree earned $46,502, about 78 percent of the salary for comparably educated whites.
It was the biggest disparity between professional blacks and whites since the 77 percent rate in 2001, when the U.S. fell into a recession after the collapse of the tech bubble and the Sept. 11 attacks. College-educated blacks had previously earned as much as 83 percent of the average salary of whites in 2005.
Hispanics saw similar trends. Those with high school diplomas earned about 83 cents for whites' every dollar, largely unchanged from a decade ago. But Hispanics with bachelor's degrees had an average salary of $44,696, amounting to roughly 75 cents for every dollar made by whites with bachelor's degrees.
That was the lowest ratio in more than a decade after hitting a peak of 87 cents to every dollar in 2000.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
HBCU Students Dressing for Success
HBCU Students Dressing for Success: Weary of seeing young men roll into class wearing do-rags, pajama bottoms or sagging pants, North Carolina Central University student body president Kent Williams Jr. resolved to address the issue on campus after seeing then-presidential candidate Barack Obama on MTV. Obama said in November, “brothers should pull up their pants.” While some students had already begun to stay away from such fashion faux pas before Obama’s candidacy, many say that the president’s example has made it easier to persuade students to dress for success.“We’re looking to him for guidance,” says Williams, whose university has begun to distribute information cards that he proposed to illustrate a more professional way to dress. Williams got the idea from Winston-Salem State University, where attire improved after disbursing fashion cards last year.
LaMonica Singleton, assistant director of career services and cooperative education at WSSU, notes, “Rather than beat them over the heads, we let the cards emphasize professional attire — and students have responded.”"
Dr. Claude M. Steele Named Columbia University Provost
Dr. Claude M. Steele Named Columbia University Provost: Columbia University has announced the appointment of Dr. Claude M. Steele as the University’s 21st provost to be effective Sept. 1, 2009. Known for developing the theory of stereotype threat in psychology, Steele will move to Columbia from Stanford University, where he has been a psychology professor since 1991. He currently holds the Lucie Stern Professor in the Social Sciences and is director of Stanford’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. Steele will succeed Dr. Alan Brinkley, a historian and Columbia’s current provost. Brinkley will take a year-long academic leave before returning to full-time teaching and research at Columbia.
Board Advocates Dumping UND Nickname, Logo
Board Advocates Dumping UND Nickname, Logo: North Dakota’s Board of Higher Education has agreed to drop the University of North Dakota’s Fighting Sioux nickname and Indian head logo.
It’s a move intended to resolve a decades-long campus dispute about whether the name demeans American Indians.
The name and logo, which is a profile of an American Indian man with feathers and streaks of paint on his face, could still be saved if North Dakota’s Standing Rock and Spirit Lake Sioux tribes agree by Oct. 1 to give the university permission to use them for at least 30 years.
However, tribal officials say that possibility is remote.
Unless the name and logo receive tribal endorsement, they will be retired for good on Aug. 1, 2010.
The board, which met Thursday, voted 8-0 to retire the logo and nickname."
It’s a move intended to resolve a decades-long campus dispute about whether the name demeans American Indians.
The name and logo, which is a profile of an American Indian man with feathers and streaks of paint on his face, could still be saved if North Dakota’s Standing Rock and Spirit Lake Sioux tribes agree by Oct. 1 to give the university permission to use them for at least 30 years.
However, tribal officials say that possibility is remote.
Unless the name and logo receive tribal endorsement, they will be retired for good on Aug. 1, 2010.
The board, which met Thursday, voted 8-0 to retire the logo and nickname."
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Gap between Baby Boomers, young minorities grows - USATODAY.com
Gap between Baby Boomers, young minorities grows - USATODAY.com: The USA is developing a stark generation gap between aging white Baby Boomers and a young, growing minority population, according to U.S. Census data released today.
The minority population increased 2.3% to 104.6 million from mid-2007 to July 1, 2008, or just over one-third of the total population, the Census Bureau reported.
The minority population increased 2.3% to 104.6 million from mid-2007 to July 1, 2008, or just over one-third of the total population, the Census Bureau reported.
Hispanics had the highest growth rate — 3.2% — during the 12 months.
Although immigration has slowed, higher birth rates among Hispanics make them the fastest growing group. Births, rather than immigration, accounted for about two-thirds of the 1.47 million increase in the Hispanic population in 2008, according to
Forty-seven percent of children under 5 are minorities, as are 43% of young people under age 20.
"It's a cumulative effect of immigration," says Jeffrey Passel of the Pew Hispanic
As the median age among non-Hispanic whites increases — it's 41.1 compared with 27.7 for Hispanics — so will the racial and ethnic generation gap, demographers say.
"A lot of these Boomers are going to be relying on this younger generation to take care of them in a lot of ways," says Mark Mather of the Population Reference Bureau. "In another generation, this is going to be our workforce that is supporting Social Security."
Volunteer Service Capacity Bill May Benefit MSIs
Volunteer Service Capacity Bill May Benefit MSIs: The Kennedy Serve America Act would create a variety of programs, including an Education Corps to help low-income youth improve educational achievement.
An ambitious national service bill signed into law by President Barack Obama may bring major benefits to minority-serving institutions as well as current and future low-income college students.
The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act would more than triple the number of AmeriCorps volunteers from 75,000 to 250,000 and create, among other initiatives, an Education Corps to help low-income youth stay in school and increase achievement. The bill also will create Youth Engagement Zones, or service learning programs, to help high school students and out-of-school youth address issues facing low-income communities, such as homelessness, blight, and a lack of opportunity.
"During difficult times such as those we are facing today, we need to enable more people to answer the call to serve," says Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Texas, a senior member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in supporting the measure. "The spirit of service runs strong in America."
"The bill also will reinforce the heightened volunteerism common on many college campuses," says Angela Peoples, legislative director of the United States Student Association.
An ambitious national service bill signed into law by President Barack Obama may bring major benefits to minority-serving institutions as well as current and future low-income college students.
The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act would more than triple the number of AmeriCorps volunteers from 75,000 to 250,000 and create, among other initiatives, an Education Corps to help low-income youth stay in school and increase achievement. The bill also will create Youth Engagement Zones, or service learning programs, to help high school students and out-of-school youth address issues facing low-income communities, such as homelessness, blight, and a lack of opportunity.
"During difficult times such as those we are facing today, we need to enable more people to answer the call to serve," says Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Texas, a senior member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in supporting the measure. "The spirit of service runs strong in America."
"The bill also will reinforce the heightened volunteerism common on many college campuses," says Angela Peoples, legislative director of the United States Student Association.
Hispanic and Asian Population Growth Slow Unexpectedly - washingtonpost.com
Hispanic and Asian Population Growth Slow Unexpectedly - washingtonpost.com: Deterred by immigration laws and the lackluster economy, the population growth of Hispanics and Asians in the United States has slowed unexpectedly, causing the government to push back estimates on when minorities will become the majority by as much as a decade.
Census data being released today also showed that fewer Hispanics are migrating to suburbs and newly emerging immigrant areas in the Southeast, including Arkansas, Tennessee and Georgia. Instead, Hispanics are staying in traditional gateway locations such as California.
The nation's overall minority population continues to rise steadily, increasing 2.3 percent in 2008 to 104.6 million, or 34 percent of the total population. But the slowdown among Hispanics and Asians continues to shift conventional notions on when the tipping point in U.S. diversity will come -- estimated to occur more than three decades from now.
Thirty-six states had lower Hispanic growth in 2008 compared with the year before. The declines were in places where the housing bubble burst, such as Nevada and Arizona, which lost construction jobs that tend to attract immigrants.
Census data being released today also showed that fewer Hispanics are migrating to suburbs and newly emerging immigrant areas in the Southeast, including Arkansas, Tennessee and Georgia. Instead, Hispanics are staying in traditional gateway locations such as California.
The nation's overall minority population continues to rise steadily, increasing 2.3 percent in 2008 to 104.6 million, or 34 percent of the total population. But the slowdown among Hispanics and Asians continues to shift conventional notions on when the tipping point in U.S. diversity will come -- estimated to occur more than three decades from now.
Thirty-six states had lower Hispanic growth in 2008 compared with the year before. The declines were in places where the housing bubble burst, such as Nevada and Arizona, which lost construction jobs that tend to attract immigrants.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
‘What Color Is That Baby?’
... But the press is still very color conscious in the way it goes about covering murder. Editors may not be asking, “What color is that victim?” But, on some level, they’re still thinking it.Which is why we’ve heard so little about an awful story out of Chicago. Some three dozen public school students have been murdered since the school year began, most of them shot to death. These children and teenagers have been killed in a wide variety of settings and situations — while riding a city bus, playing in parks, sitting in the back seats of cars, in gang disputes, in robberies, in the crossfire of sidewalk shootouts.
It’s an immense and continuing tragedy. But these were nearly all African-American or Latino kids, so the coverage has been scant.
In contrast, the news media gave the public enormous amounts of information about the Wesleyan student, Johanna Justin-Jinich, and — in another big story — about Julissa Brisman, the masseuse who had advertised on Craigslist and was killed in a Boston hotel room last month.
It’s a searing double-standard that tells us volumes about the ways in which we view one another, and whose lives are considered to have value in this society and whose are not. Another disturbing aspect of the coverage is the extreme prurient interest that drives it. The press goes wild over stories about murderous attacks on women who are young, attractive and white.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Naval Academy Graphic Novel to Aid Recruiting
Naval Academy Graphic Novel to Aid Recruiting: The Naval Academy released a graphic novel Thursday to attract minority students and applicants from areas that don’t send many students to the college, using sharp drawings, tales of saving the world and sound-effect words such as “FZZZZZZZ” and “FZAAAAAAT.”
Vice Adm. Jeffrey Fowler, the academy’s superintendent, said the academy wanted to use a format that appeals to high school students. The Navy also released a graphic novel last year in Japan, where manga comic books are popular, to ease concerns about the move there by the aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
A graphic novel is a lot like a comic book, but Navy officials underscore that graphic novels contain more mature themes and complex story lines.
The 12-page publication is called “Bravo Zulu” after the naval signal meaning “Well done.”
Fowler has made diversity a priority at the academy, and minority characters play a prominent role in the story. The academy received nearly 4,500 minority applications for the class of 2013 — the most ever at the school established in 1845.
Vice Adm. Jeffrey Fowler, the academy’s superintendent, said the academy wanted to use a format that appeals to high school students. The Navy also released a graphic novel last year in Japan, where manga comic books are popular, to ease concerns about the move there by the aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
A graphic novel is a lot like a comic book, but Navy officials underscore that graphic novels contain more mature themes and complex story lines.
The 12-page publication is called “Bravo Zulu” after the naval signal meaning “Well done.”
Fowler has made diversity a priority at the academy, and minority characters play a prominent role in the story. The academy received nearly 4,500 minority applications for the class of 2013 — the most ever at the school established in 1845.
New Graduates Face Difficult Job Market
New Graduates Face Difficult Job Market: As minority graduates hit the job market in the midst of an economic recession, many of the class of 2009 may find themselves at an even greater disadvantage if they have not developed the contacts needed to get them in the door for an interview.
The jobless rate among Blacks with a college degree is 7.2 percent — twice that of Whites and higher than Asians and Hispanics, the Economic Policy Institute reported last month using Department of Labor statistics. The nation’s employers expect to hire 22 percent fewer new graduates in 2009 than they hired from the 2008 graduating class, according to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
With unemployment hitting record levels — the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the unemployment rate reached 8.9 percent in April — ‘who you know’ takes on greater significance for students trying to contend in this competitive job market, experts say.
The jobless rate among Blacks with a college degree is 7.2 percent — twice that of Whites and higher than Asians and Hispanics, the Economic Policy Institute reported last month using Department of Labor statistics. The nation’s employers expect to hire 22 percent fewer new graduates in 2009 than they hired from the 2008 graduating class, according to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
With unemployment hitting record levels — the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the unemployment rate reached 8.9 percent in April — ‘who you know’ takes on greater significance for students trying to contend in this competitive job market, experts say.
Black Colleges Will Fight Cut to Federal Program
Black Colleges Will Fight Cut to Federal Program: Leaders of historically Black colleges say they’ll fight a reduction in a federal program they call a financial lifeline at a time of economic distress for the schools and their students.
President Barack Obama’s education budget, unveiled Thursday, included major spending increases in many areas but didn’t include an extra $85 million that Black institutions have received annually for the past two years thanks to a 2007 change to the student loan laws.
That two-year-old program provided direct funds to federally recognized historically Black colleges and universities.
Other direct federal support to the schools would increase from $238 million to $250 million, but with the expiration of the HBCU fund the schools effectively would see a $73 million cut.
A program supporting Native American tribal colleges would also see decreased funding, while one for institutions serving large numbers of Hispanic students would see an increase from $93 million to $98 million.
President Barack Obama’s education budget, unveiled Thursday, included major spending increases in many areas but didn’t include an extra $85 million that Black institutions have received annually for the past two years thanks to a 2007 change to the student loan laws.
That two-year-old program provided direct funds to federally recognized historically Black colleges and universities.
Other direct federal support to the schools would increase from $238 million to $250 million, but with the expiration of the HBCU fund the schools effectively would see a $73 million cut.
A program supporting Native American tribal colleges would also see decreased funding, while one for institutions serving large numbers of Hispanic students would see an increase from $93 million to $98 million.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
HSIs, HBCUs Seek Greater Visibility From White House
HSIs, HBCUs Seek Greater Visibility From White House: Advocates of minority-serving institutions seek changes while monitoring newappointments to senior U.S. Department of Education posts.
For years, the federal government has had a White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and another on tribal colleges, both of which seek to increase the visibility of these institutions among federal agencies. Now leaders of Hispanic-serving institutions are asking the Obama administration for a similar initiative focused on HSIs.
“HSIs are the only ones that don’t have that representation before the White House and the Department of Education,” says Dr. Antonio Flores, president of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
A presidential order signed by George W. Bush in 2001 created a White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanic Americans covering issues from pre-kindergarten through higher education. But Flores calls it a “terrible mistake” to have such a broad organization without focusing on specific elements within Hispanic education such as HSIs.
“When you cover everything under the sun, you end up covering nothing,” says Flores, who, in a meeting with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan earlier this month, recommended that President Barack Obama sign an executive order creating a White House HSI initiative.
Morehouse College Honors Civil Rights Pioneer
Morehouse College Honors Civil Rights Pioneer: Earlier this month, Morehouse College honored Vivian Malone Jones by placing her image in its Hall of Honor. Jones, along with James Hood, desegregated the University of Alabama in 1963. She became the first Black graduate of the university in 1965 and later served as the director of civil rights and urban affairs and director of environmental justice for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She died in 2005.
Said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who is Jones’ brother-in-law, at the unveiling: “The Justice Department has not acted in the way that is consistent with the great traditions of that great organization. We’re going to have a bunch of new judges. We are bound and determined to reshape the U.S. judiciary in a way you will be proud.”
Hampton University Brings the Latest and Greatest in Cancer Treatment
Hampton University Brings the Latest and Greatest in Cancer Treatment: Despite having no medical school, Hampton University is one of the leading research institutions on cancer treatment.
With a top-rated medical physics program and a faculty team that has nine patents on a breast cancer detection device, university president William R. Harvey says it’s time to make an even bigger investment into fighting cancer.
Thanks to Harvey’s desire to make cancer research one of the university’s top priorities, Hampton is set to unveil its own proton treatment center. The Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute (HUPTI) will be the largest, first free-standing, and, according to university officials, the most state-of-the-art cancer treatment center in the nation. It will only be the seventh proton institute in the nation, and the first to be built at a historically Black college or university.
The project’s costs could exceed $200 million, but Harvey says the institute’s value in fighting cancer cannot be measured in numbers.
With a top-rated medical physics program and a faculty team that has nine patents on a breast cancer detection device, university president William R. Harvey says it’s time to make an even bigger investment into fighting cancer.
Thanks to Harvey’s desire to make cancer research one of the university’s top priorities, Hampton is set to unveil its own proton treatment center. The Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute (HUPTI) will be the largest, first free-standing, and, according to university officials, the most state-of-the-art cancer treatment center in the nation. It will only be the seventh proton institute in the nation, and the first to be built at a historically Black college or university.
The project’s costs could exceed $200 million, but Harvey says the institute’s value in fighting cancer cannot be measured in numbers.
Minority-serving Institutions To Lose Funding Under Obama Budget
Minority-serving Institutions To Lose Funding Under Obama Budget: The Obama administration proposed its first full education budget Thursday, with funding for an array of new programs but a net decrease for minority-serving colleges and universities.
The line-by-line budget would cut funding for historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and Hispanic-serving institutions, because it fails to make permanent a temporary spending increase enacted for the past two fiscal years.
Back in 2007, Congress allotted special funds to HBCUs, HSIs and tribal colleges, giving them $500 million from savings achieved through student loan reforms. This spending was scheduled to last two years and end after fiscal year 2009, although advocacy groups have sought to make the increases permanent.
The short-term funding includes annual allotments of an extra $100 million for HSIs, $85 million for HBCUs and $30 million for tribal colleges.
“This budget makes tough decisions,” said Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at a news briefing outlining the budget.
Commenting on the short-term spending increases for HBCUs and HSIs, he said, “It was absolutely set up as a two-year program.”
The line-by-line budget would cut funding for historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and Hispanic-serving institutions, because it fails to make permanent a temporary spending increase enacted for the past two fiscal years.
Back in 2007, Congress allotted special funds to HBCUs, HSIs and tribal colleges, giving them $500 million from savings achieved through student loan reforms. This spending was scheduled to last two years and end after fiscal year 2009, although advocacy groups have sought to make the increases permanent.
The short-term funding includes annual allotments of an extra $100 million for HSIs, $85 million for HBCUs and $30 million for tribal colleges.
“This budget makes tough decisions,” said Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at a news briefing outlining the budget.
Commenting on the short-term spending increases for HBCUs and HSIs, he said, “It was absolutely set up as a two-year program.”
Former Pullman Porter Subtly Confronted Racism : NPR
Former Pullman Porter Subtly Confronted Racism : NPR: In the heyday of train travel, before airplanes overtook the gleaming locomotives that clicked and chugged from one end of the country and back, uniformed Pullman porters were a familiar sight.
Tens of thousands of African-Americans worked as porters on the trains, attending to the needs of first-class passengers in Pullman sleeper cars since 1868. Amtrak estimates that 200 former porters are still living and plans to honor about 20 of them Saturday in Philadelphia as part of National Train Day.
Tens of thousands of African-Americans worked as porters on the trains, attending to the needs of first-class passengers in Pullman sleeper cars since 1868. Amtrak estimates that 200 former porters are still living and plans to honor about 20 of them Saturday in Philadelphia as part of National Train Day.
Frank Rollins, 93, is coming from Houston to take part in the celebration. The retired restaurant owner and jeweler worked on the rails from 1936 to 1945, first as a cook with the Illinois Central Railroad and later as a porter.
Although they earned little, Pullman porters helped build America's black middle class. Racism wasn't uncommon, with passengers often calling them "George," for George Pullman, inventor of the sleeper car, regardless of their first names.
Rollins tells NPR's Michele Norris that the railway wanted Southern boys to run the dining cars because "they thought they had a certain personality and a certain demeanor that satisfied the Southern passengers better than the boys who came from Chicago."
During the rigorous training to become a porter, Rollins says he learned how to make up the beds in the train cars and break them down — and how to deal with discrimination.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
'High school dropout crisis' continues in U.S., study says
... Researchers for the study analyzed the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Surveys, household data from the Current Population Survey, national data on GED certificate awards and other official sources to examine the problem at the national level and in the nation's 12 largest states: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.
Men and blacks and Hispanics of both genders are among those particularly prone to dropping out of high school.
"As these data show, this dropout crisis is disproportionately affecting America's communities of color," said Marc Morial, president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League. "Youth from all communities deserve an equal chance at educational success."
Among the findings in the report, "Left Behind in America: The Nation's Dropout Crisis:"
The dropout situation at the state level was similarly widespread:
The report emphasized the importance of having at least a high school education.
Racism hurts kids' mental health - USATODAY.com
Racism hurts kids' mental health - USATODAY.com: Fifth-graders who feel they've been mistreated because of their skin color are much more likely than classmates without such feelings to have symptoms of mental disorders, especially depression, a study suggests.
There is evidence that racial discrimination increases the odds that adolescents and adults will develop mental health problems, but this is the first study to examine a possible link in children of varied races, says Tumaini Coker, the study co-author and a RAND Corp. researcher and UCLA pediatrician.
There is evidence that racial discrimination increases the odds that adolescents and adults will develop mental health problems, but this is the first study to examine a possible link in children of varied races, says Tumaini Coker, the study co-author and a RAND Corp. researcher and UCLA pediatrician.
It does not prove that discrimination caused the emotional problems, because unlike studies of older people, these children weren't followed over time. It's possible that prejudice harms children's mental health, but it is also possible that troubled kids prompt more discriminatory remarks from peers or that children with emotional problems perceive more bias, says study leader Mark Schuster, a Harvard pediatrician and pediatrics chief at Children's Hospital Boston.
The link between perceived racism and mental disorders is strong, he adds. For example, Hispanics who report racism are more than three times as likely as other children to have symptoms of depression; blacks are more than twice as likely; and those of "other" minority races have almost quadruple the odds. Rates are also higher for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder.
The study, which is published in the May American Journal of Public Health, involved more than 5,000 children in Birmingham, Ala., Houston and Los Angeles.
Monday, May 04, 2009
For Native Americans, Old Stereotypes Die Hard : NPR
For Native Americans, Old Stereotypes Die Hard : NPR: May 4, 2009 Native Americans have a long history of one-sided portrayals in Hollywood, including such stereotypical characters as the war-whooping savage or the grunting tribesman.After decades of being shoved into these stereotypes, many Native American artists are trying to write their own scripts.
Charlie Hill is a comedian and member of the Oneida Indian Nation of Wisconsin. Despite the existence of modern, real-life icons among Indians — runner Billy Mills, an Olympic gold medalist; Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell; activist Winona LaDuke; and Pulitzer-Prize winning novelist N. Scott Momaday — a TV stereotype still stands out in Hill's mind.
'I remember as a little kid playing the Lone Ranger, my little brother and I. He had to be the Ranger because he was smarter. We're taught that.'
The Native American character in the 1950s show The Lone Ranger, Tonto, was played by actor Jay Silverheels. Hill notes that Tonto belonged to no tribal nation; he was 'just a generic Indian that was created by the white man.'
'We're indoctrinated, we don't know better. Jay Silverheels — I think if he came around in another era, he might've been offered better parts,' Hill says. 'But in the part of Tonto, he was just, 'Ugh, me not know,' a grunting savage.'
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Online Education Offers Access and Affordability - US News and World Report
Online Education Offers Access and Affordability - US News and World Report: The timing couldn't be better. Just as millions of working-age Americans are realizing they need extra education and skill-sharpening to thrive in a recession, a flowering of competition promises to dramatically drive down prices and raise the quality of online college courses.
Indeed, time-stressed Americans fed up with commuting costs are already choosing online education. More than 4 million enrolled in at least one online course last fall, up from fewer than 2 million in 2003.And some of the biggest online players, such as the for-profit University of Phoenix, say new enrollment has jumped by about 20 percent since the economy began its decline more than a year ago. While online courses have been primarily designed for working adults, younger students in increasing numbers are switching to E-learning. Some, like students at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, have little choice. FDU requires its students to take at least one online course per year.
News: Rise in Distance Enrollments - Inside Higher Ed
News: Rise in Distance Enrollments - Inside Higher Ed: PHOENIX -- Community colleges continue to see increases in distance education enrollments, according to a report released at the annual meeting of the American Association of Community Colleges here.
A national survey of colleges by the Instructional Technology Council, an affiliate of the community college group, found that distance enrollments grew 11.3 percent from fall 2006 to fall 2007, the most recent period for which full data are available. Last year, the survey found an increase of 18 percent over the previous year. Given several recent years of significant gains in distance enrollments, such increases 'could not be sustained indefinitely,' says the report. It also notes that the administrators who provided answers for the survey said that they faced resource constraints on expanding distance programs.
A national survey of colleges by the Instructional Technology Council, an affiliate of the community college group, found that distance enrollments grew 11.3 percent from fall 2006 to fall 2007, the most recent period for which full data are available. Last year, the survey found an increase of 18 percent over the previous year. Given several recent years of significant gains in distance enrollments, such increases 'could not be sustained indefinitely,' says the report. It also notes that the administrators who provided answers for the survey said that they faced resource constraints on expanding distance programs.
Large Urban-Suburban Gap Seen in Graduation Rates - NYTimes.com
Large Urban-Suburban Gap Seen in Graduation Rates - NYTimes.com: It is no surprise that more students drop out of high school in big cities than elsewhere. Now, however, a nationwide study shows the magnitude of the gap: the average high school graduation rate in the nation’s 50 largest cities was 53 percent, compared with 71 percent in the suburbs.
But that urban-suburban gap, which in part is due to hundreds of failing city schools that some researchers call dropout factories, was far wider in some areas.
In Cleveland, for instance, where the gap was largest, only 38 percent of high school freshmen graduated within four years, compared with 80 percent in the Cleveland suburbs, the report said. In Baltimore, which has the nation’s second-largest gap, 41 percent of students graduate from city schools, compared with 81 percent in the suburbs.
New York also had a large gap, with 54 percent of freshmen graduating within four years from schools in the city, compared with 83 percent from suburban high schools.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Welcome! | The Schott 50 State Report
Welcome! | The Schott 50 State Report: ... The Schott Foundation for Public Education’s web-based 50 State Report on Public Education and Black Males. This website is a data portal that provides parents, educators, media, policymakers, elected officials—and anyone who cares about education and equity—direct access to important, alarming data on the devastating reality of education for Black males across all 50 states.
Since 2003, the Schott Foundation for Public Education has been involved in an intense investigation into the education opportunities for Black males. In 2005/2006, less than half of all Black male students received diplomas with their cohort. The rate at which Black males are dropping out and being placed in Special Education far exceeds the rate at which they are graduating and reaching high levels of academic achievement.
We hope this information will continue to spark action from advocacy, research and philanthropic communities. More importantly, we hope it will help bring about the substantive changes needed to provide Black male students the opportunity to learn and succeed."
HBCUs spell out success for Black men on The Louisiana Weekly
HBCUs spell out success for Black men on The Louisiana Weekly: ... Students may assume that Harvard carries better name recognition than predominantly Black Howard. However, a better name does not necessarily offer a better educational experience, nor does it guarantee more post-college success. A Newswise Education News press release reported the findings of Bradford Mills and Elton Mykerezi, researchers with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Mills and Mykerezi's study found that Black men who had attended historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) experienced annual wage increases of 1.4 percent to 1.6 percent more than Black men who attended non-HBCU schools.
AB 1281 Brings Outdated Racial And Ethnic Data Collection Practices Up To Current Standards - California Progress Report
AB 1281 Brings Outdated Racial And Ethnic Data Collection Practices Up To Current Standards - California Progress Report: Schools in the United States have historically reflected the classification of students’ race and ethnicity based on the categories utilized by the federal government. Those classifications have been set in many different ways over the years as demographic changes have occurred and people’s nomenclature for themselves or their group(s) have been updated by the U. S. Census Bureau, the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the U. S. Department of Education.
States, school districts, and local schools have been able to maintain their unique particular demographics by adding, subtracting, or changing wording of their school forms, including enrollment, test, and other forms that ask for racial and/or ethnic data. For example, updates have been made over the years to change colored to Negro then to African American or Black; Oriental has become Asian with sub-categories; Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic, not racial category on the census; and the ”n” has been dropped from Alaskan Native to become Alaska Native.
In our fluid society of immigration and intermarriage, it is our responsibility to properly reflect the entire heritage of our population. Some school districts in California list 20 or more races and ethnicities on forms, but limit students to choosing only one.
States, school districts, and local schools have been able to maintain their unique particular demographics by adding, subtracting, or changing wording of their school forms, including enrollment, test, and other forms that ask for racial and/or ethnic data. For example, updates have been made over the years to change colored to Negro then to African American or Black; Oriental has become Asian with sub-categories; Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic, not racial category on the census; and the ”n” has been dropped from Alaskan Native to become Alaska Native.
In our fluid society of immigration and intermarriage, it is our responsibility to properly reflect the entire heritage of our population. Some school districts in California list 20 or more races and ethnicities on forms, but limit students to choosing only one.
Black and Latino male youth more likely to be on special ed 'road to nowhere'
Black and Latino male youth more likely to be on special ed 'road to nowhere': Black and Latino boys with disabilities are more likely to land in special ed classes where dropout rates are high and chances of graduating are slim, a new report showed.
Kids with disabilities in 'self-contained' city classrooms - where all kids are in special education - had less than a 5% chance of graduating last year.
They're twice as likely to drop out as kids in other kinds of special ed settings, the advocacy group ARISE Coalition said.
'It's a road to nowhere for many of those kids,' ARISE Coordinator Maggie Moroff said.
In middle school, African-American and Hispanic males made up about 60% of the kids in self-contained classes, compared with about 50% in mixed classrooms of special ed and general ed students.
A Department of Education spokeswoman said an increasing number of special ed students perform at or above grade level and are 'more likely to graduate high school than at any previous time.'
Kids with disabilities in 'self-contained' city classrooms - where all kids are in special education - had less than a 5% chance of graduating last year.
They're twice as likely to drop out as kids in other kinds of special ed settings, the advocacy group ARISE Coalition said.
'It's a road to nowhere for many of those kids,' ARISE Coordinator Maggie Moroff said.
In middle school, African-American and Hispanic males made up about 60% of the kids in self-contained classes, compared with about 50% in mixed classrooms of special ed and general ed students.
A Department of Education spokeswoman said an increasing number of special ed students perform at or above grade level and are 'more likely to graduate high school than at any previous time.'
Deseret News | Education gaps in U.S. little changed since 2003, study finds
Deseret News | Education gaps in U.S. little changed since 2003, study finds: The U.S. has made little progress since 2003 in reducing educational disparities that cause achievement rates among minority and poor students to trail those who are white and middle-class, the Educational Testing Service said.
Black, Hispanic and low-income students are less likely to be taught by certified teachers and more likely to fear for their safety at school, according to an ETS report released Thursday. Schools with large minority enrollments are also more likely to have bigger class sizes, the study found.
The findings are similar to those of a 2003 study from Princeton, N.J.-based ETS, a nonprofit group that conducts educational research and assessments.
'Minority and poor children continue to face conditions that undermine their ability to achieve in school,' Richard Coley, co-author of this year's report and head of ETS's Policy Information Center, said at a news conference in Washington. 'These gaps, if we allow them to persist, will likely wreak havoc on our economy as our demographics continue to change.'
Black, Hispanic and low-income students are less likely to be taught by certified teachers and more likely to fear for their safety at school, according to an ETS report released Thursday. Schools with large minority enrollments are also more likely to have bigger class sizes, the study found.
The findings are similar to those of a 2003 study from Princeton, N.J.-based ETS, a nonprofit group that conducts educational research and assessments.
'Minority and poor children continue to face conditions that undermine their ability to achieve in school,' Richard Coley, co-author of this year's report and head of ETS's Policy Information Center, said at a news conference in Washington. 'These gaps, if we allow them to persist, will likely wreak havoc on our economy as our demographics continue to change.'
AKAs Seeks End of ‘Old South’ Days at ‘Bama
AKAs Seeks End of ‘Old South’ Days at ‘Bama:
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.
Members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority are asking the University of Alabama to end the annual “Old South” celebration staged by a White fraternity.
In a petition sent to President Robert Witt, alumni members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority said the “Old South” festivities put on by the Kappa Alpha Order are offensive.
The school hasn’t responded. But a national executive of the Kappa Alpha fraternity said officials are investigating what happened during last weekend’s “Old South” event in Tuscaloosa.
Members of the Black group say White students dressed in Confederate uniforms and carrying rebel flags held an annual parade that stopped in front of the Black sorority’s house.
The timing was coincidental, but the sorority members say they were taken aback by the display."
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.
Members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority are asking the University of Alabama to end the annual “Old South” celebration staged by a White fraternity.
In a petition sent to President Robert Witt, alumni members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority said the “Old South” festivities put on by the Kappa Alpha Order are offensive.
The school hasn’t responded. But a national executive of the Kappa Alpha fraternity said officials are investigating what happened during last weekend’s “Old South” event in Tuscaloosa.
Members of the Black group say White students dressed in Confederate uniforms and carrying rebel flags held an annual parade that stopped in front of the Black sorority’s house.
The timing was coincidental, but the sorority members say they were taken aback by the display."
Five Years, Little Improvement in Factors Contributing to Achievement Gap
Five Years, Little Improvement in Factors Contributing to Achievement Gap: An Educational Testing Service study in 2003 found that students of color, as compared to White students, were less likely to be engaged in rigorous academic course work, taught by certified teachers and live in two-parent homes, while they were more likely to be placed in crowded classes and attend school hungry. What’s changed in five years? Very “little.”
In a new report “Parsing the Achievement Gap II,” ETS revisited its findings and found that most gaps in both academic and life experiences between minority and White students persist.
ETS uses 16 factors, including birth weight, lead poisoning, parental involvement and teacher quality, to assess whether White and minority students are reaching parity in their experience with each factor.
Not surprisingly, the report concluded that while a few of the gaps in issues related to achievement have narrowed and a few have widened, overall, the gaps identified in the previous studies remain unaltered."
In a new report “Parsing the Achievement Gap II,” ETS revisited its findings and found that most gaps in both academic and life experiences between minority and White students persist.
ETS uses 16 factors, including birth weight, lead poisoning, parental involvement and teacher quality, to assess whether White and minority students are reaching parity in their experience with each factor.
Not surprisingly, the report concluded that while a few of the gaps in issues related to achievement have narrowed and a few have widened, overall, the gaps identified in the previous studies remain unaltered."
Study Finds Africans More Genetically Diverse Than Other Populations - washingtonpost.com
Study Finds Africans More Genetically Diverse Than Other Populations - washingtonpost.com: Africans are more genetically diverse than the inhabitants of the rest of the world combined, according to a sweeping study that carried researchers into remote regions to sample the bloodlines of more than 100 distinct populations.
The report, published yesterday in the journal Science Express, suggests that, because of historical migrations and genetic mixing across the continent, it will be hard for African Americans to trace their ancestry in fine detail. African American genealogies are increasingly popular and commercialized, but the authors of the new study cast doubt on how precise such searches can be, given the complexity of the genetic makeup of Africans.
'It may be very challenging to trace back ancestry to particular tribes or ethnic groups,' said Sarah Tishkoff, a University of Pennsylvania geneticist who led the international research team.
The first anatomically modern humans originated in Africa about 200,000 years ago, and all humans today are their direct descendants. The study points to an area along the Namibia-South Africa border, the homeland of the San people, as the starting point for a southwest-to-northeast migratory route that carried people through Africa and across the Red Sea into Eurasia.
The report, published yesterday in the journal Science Express, suggests that, because of historical migrations and genetic mixing across the continent, it will be hard for African Americans to trace their ancestry in fine detail. African American genealogies are increasingly popular and commercialized, but the authors of the new study cast doubt on how precise such searches can be, given the complexity of the genetic makeup of Africans.
'It may be very challenging to trace back ancestry to particular tribes or ethnic groups,' said Sarah Tishkoff, a University of Pennsylvania geneticist who led the international research team.
The first anatomically modern humans originated in Africa about 200,000 years ago, and all humans today are their direct descendants. The study points to an area along the Namibia-South Africa border, the homeland of the San people, as the starting point for a southwest-to-northeast migratory route that carried people through Africa and across the Red Sea into Eurasia.
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