Sunday, June 30, 2013

In Houston, Diversity You Can Sink Your Teeth Into | WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio

In Houston, Diversity You Can Sink Your Teeth Into | WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio: Stephen Klineberg polishes off a spicy lamb mint burger, mops his brow and recalls the Houston he moved to as a young professor in the 1970s.

"It was a deeply racist, deeply segregated Southern city," he says; an oil boomtown of black and white Americans.

There were no restaurants like Pondicheri, where Houston chef Anita Jaisinghani's hip take on Indian street food — and the air conditioning's battle with 100-degree heat — conspires to make the Rice University professor sweat.

Houston back then was about steak houses and Tex-Mex, smog and concrete. It was where bilingual meant English and Spanish, and staggeringly wealthy white oil men had the run of the place.

Sound familiar?

That image of this city of more than 2 million remains amber-fixed in the minds of most outsiders. It was true back then; now, it's almost all wrong, though energy remains king.

Legalese Aside, How Do We Talk About Race Nowadays? : Code Switch : NPR

Legalese Aside, How Do We Talk About Race Nowadays? : Code Switch : NPR: This was a week in which the country was reminded of our continuing struggle with race — and how we're still not quite sure how to talk about it.

The conversation started with the actions of the Supreme Court: A key provision of the Voting Rights Act , and the University of Texas was its affirmative action policy.

But it soon moved to events outside the Supreme Court — to the of George Zimmerman and celebrity chef Paula Deen's against accusations of racism.

"[The Deen incident] speaks to the difficulty I think Americans have now with identifying discrimination," says Gene Demby, lead blogger for NPR's . "The Paula Deen conversation quickly turned into a conversation about the inner-workings of her soul, right? Whether or not she was actually a racist."

Friday, June 28, 2013

Academic achievement gap is narrowing, new national data show - The Washington Post

Academic achievement gap is narrowing, new national data show - The Washington Post: The nation’s 9-year-olds and 13-year-olds are posting better scores in math and reading tests than their counterparts did 40 years ago, and the achievement gap between white students and those of color still persists but is narrowing, according to new federal government data released Thursday.

The scores, collected regularly since the 1970s from federal tests administered to public and private school students age 9, 13, and 17, paint a picture of steady student achievement that contradicts the popular notion that U.S. educational progress has stalled.

“When you break out the data over the long term and ask who is improving, the answer is . . . everyone,” said Kati Haycock, president of the Education Trust, a nonprofit organization that works to close the achievement gap between poor and privileged children. “And the good news, given where they started, is that black and Latino children have racked up some of the biggest gains of all.

The data, part of the National Assessment of Educational Progress long-term trend study, come from tests given every four years in math and reading. The most recent results, from tests 50,000 students took in 2012, show that 9-year-olds and 13-year-olds did better in both math and reading than students who took the first reading test in 1971 and the first math test in 1973.

Senate Passes Historic Immigration Bill - Higher Education

Senate Passes Historic Immigration Bill - Higher Education: WASHINGTON — With a solemnity reserved for momentous occasions, the Senate passed historic legislation Thursday offering the priceless hope of citizenship to millions of immigrants living illegally in America’s shadows. The bill also promises a military-style effort to secure the long-porous border with Mexico.

The bipartisan vote was 68-32 on a measure that sits atop President Barack Obama’s second-term domestic agenda. But the bill’s prospects are highly uncertain in the Republican-controlled House, where party leaders are jockeying for position in advance of expected action next month.

Spectators in galleries that overlook the Senate floor watched expectantly as senators voted one by one from their desks. Some onlookers erupted in chants of “Yes, we can” after Vice President Joe Biden announced the vote result.

Analysis: Howard University Heading in Harm’s Way? - Higher Education

Analysis: Howard University Heading in Harm’s Way? - Higher Education: When Howard University began putting the final details on enrollment for the 2012-13 school year this time a year ago, it had no idea it would soon face a last-minute flood of students unable to enroll due to a tightening of requirements in a federal loan program for parents seeking to help pay their children’s tuition.

More middle income and poor households had been hit hard by the nation’s economic downturn since 2007 with family incomes falling fast and living costs continuing to rise, Howard and many of its peer institutions learned. With college educations, many financed with the federal loan called Parent Plus Loan (PPL) suddenly unaffordable, Howard and its peers saw fall enrollment drop by the thousands nationwide. The institutions’ anticipated income fell accordingly.

For Howard, the PPL decision by the United States Department of Education costs the university hundreds of students and roughly $8 million in anticipated income for the 2012-2013 school year. The PPL decision jolted the university just as it was resettling from a rough launch two years ago of a plan for downsizing and refocusing the university for the future.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Mandela's Daughter: 'It Doesn't Look Good' : The Two-Way : NPR

Mandela's Daughter: 'It Doesn't Look Good' : The Two-Way : NPR: Nelson Mandela's condition is "very critical," his daughter Makaziwe Mandela .

"I re-iterate that tata is very critical that anything is imminent," Makaziwe said. "But I want to emphasize again that it's only God who knows when the time to go is and so we will wait with him, with Tata, as long for us as a family, he's still giving us hope opening his eyes he's still reactive to touch we will live with that hope until the final end comes."

that in that same interview, she said that "it doesn't look good."

As we've reported, the 94-year-old former South African president and anti-apartheid icon .

that South African President Jacob Zuma visited Mandela in the hospital on Wednesday. A spokesman told the network, Zuma was "briefed by the doctors who are still doing everything they can to ensure his well-being."

Six Words: 'Black Babies Cost Less To Adopt' : NPR

Six Words: 'Black Babies Cost Less To Adopt' : NPR: Americans adopt thousands of children each year. And as the nation has become increasingly diverse, and with the growth of international adoption in recent decades, many of those children don't look like their adoptive parents. That intersection of race and adoption has prompted many people to submit their six words to The Race Card Project, including this submission from a Louisiana woman: "."

Other contributors have also addressed the skin-color based fee structure for many adoptions, including Caryn Lantz of Minneapolis. Her six words: "Navigating world as transracial adopted family."

Lantz and her husband, both white, are the adoptive parents of two African-American boys. The couple had struggled for years to conceive a child. When they finally decided to turn to adoption they were willing to adopt kids of another race. But they were concerned by what they discovered about the differential costs.

Economists Seek National Effort to Increase Selective College Applications, Enrollment by Low-Income Students - Higher Education

Economists Seek National Effort to Increase Selective College Applications, Enrollment by Low-Income Students - Higher Education: In an event on Wednesday organized by the Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project, noted Stanford University economist Caroline M. Hoxby unveiled a national proposal aimed at encouraging high-achieving, low-income students to apply to and attend selective colleges. The plan, devised by Hoxby and Dr. Sarah Turner of the University of Virginia, is based on the Expanding College Opportunities (ECO) Project, which was developed by the economists and has demonstrated promising results.

At the National Press Club in downtown Washington, D.C., Hoxby presented research findings on the ECO Project during a forum event billed as “The Economic Imperative of Expanding College Opportunity. Following Hoxby’s presentation and participation in a roundtable discussion, higher education leaders on a second panel, including the heads of the College Board and the ACT testing organizations, expressed support for the ECO Project.

Not the End of Affirmative Action as We Know It - Higher Education

Not the End of Affirmative Action as We Know It - Higher Education: It’s not the end of affirmative action as we know it … or even admissions plans as they exist in Texas, Florida and California. With the Supreme Court’s narrow ruling in Fisher v. Texas that lower courts cannot defer to universities on the form of their affirmative action policies while upholding diversity as a compelling interest, affirmative action under Grutter v. Bollinger still stands.

When the Court originally agreed to hear the Fisher case, 10 years after Grutter, much shorter than the 25 year reprieve Justice O’Connor hoped would diminish the need for affirmative action programs, many pundits and scholars (including myself) opined that affirmative action was all but over. However, with the Court’s agreement to hear Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, it was pretty clear that the Court was not leaning toward an affirmative action ban. If so, extending certiorari to Schuette, where the constitutionality of a public referendum on affirmative action is at issue, would have been redundant.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Nelson Mandela On Life Support (REPORT)

Nelson Mandela On Life Support (REPORT): Nelson Mandela has been placed on life support, CNN reported Wednesday afternoon.

The former South African president's health remained critical for the fourth consecutive day as tribal leaders reportedly were warned to prepare for his death.

According to Sky News' chief correspondent in South Africa, multiple sources confirmed that Mandela is no longer able to breathe unassisted. He has been undergoing treatment, including renal dialysis, at the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria since June 8.

In an interview with CNN Tuesday, Mandela's daughter Makaziwe, the sole surviving child from his first marriage to the late Evelyn Mandela, said the family was enjoying “quality and sacred moments” with her father.

“All I pray for as a daughter is that the transition is smooth. He is at peace with himself. He has given so much to the world. I believe he is at peace," Makaziwe said.

Higher Education Summit Highlights Research on Asian-American, Pacific Islander-Serving Schools - Higher Education

Higher Education Summit Highlights Research on Asian-American, Pacific Islander-Serving Schools - Higher Education: Among the 153 U.S. colleges and universities eligible to become federally designated as Asian-American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), only 78 of those schools have sought and been granted the distinction since 2008, when the federal program was launched. Of the 78, just 21 schools have received AANAPISI program funding, which is aimed at improving the retention, transfer and graduation rates of underserved Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students.

In a study released Tuesday by the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) and the National Commission on Asian-American and Pacific Islander Research in Education (CARE), the authors explore “baseline data on the federal AANAPISI program to reveal the regional and institutional representation of these colleges and universities along with their student enrollment and degree production,” according to the collaborating organizations.

A Long, Slow Drift From Racial Justice - NYTimes.com

A Long, Slow Drift From Racial Justice - NYTimes.com: THE Supreme Court has again upheld the principles behind race-conscious affirmative action, no small feat for the cause of diversity in higher education. But in framing the issue very technically, it has, wittingly or not, continued its drift away from the ideals it advanced in the civil rights era, beginning with Brown v. Board of Education.

In its decision on Monday, in Fisher v. University of Texas, the court ordered a federal appellate court to take a fresh look — under the demanding standard of “strict scrutiny” — at whether Texas’ public universities were properly using race as one factor (among many) in admitting a diverse student body. The appellate court will have to examine “how the process works in practice,” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote in the decision for the majority. 

As a law professor, and as the named defendant in the last two major affirmative action cases decided by the Supreme Court (in my capacity as president of the University of Michigan at the time), in 2003, I breathed a slight sigh of relief on Monday. But I worry that the new ruling will empower lower courts and, no doubt, litigants to challenge benign considerations of race — those that seek to advance legitimate goals of diversity in education — more easily than ever.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Asia's ideal beauty: Looking Caucasian - CNN.com

Asia's ideal beauty: Looking Caucasian - CNN.com: Editor's note: Dr. Anthony Youn is a plastic surgeon in metro Detroit. He is the author of "In Stitches," a humorous memoir about growing up Asian-American and becoming a doctor.

(CNN) -- "Dr. Youn, my daughter is so ugly."

A Korean mother in her 50s sits before me in the exam room, her teenage daughter next to her.

"You need to fix her ugly nose, open up her eyes and give her a double fold of her eyelids," the woman says.

"Okay," I look at her daughter. "Jane, what do you think? Is this something you want?"

Jane stares at the floor, unmoving. Then she speaks, eyes still looking downward.

"I guess. Whatever my mom says."

Plastic surgery is hot in Asia. One in five South Korean women from 19 to 49 have undergone cosmetic surgery, according to a 2009 survey from market-research firm Trend Monitor. That's reportedly compared to about one in 20 in the United States.

Although the United States and Brazil are the top two countries in sheer number of plastic surgeries performed, China and Japan are numbers three and four, according to the International Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. South Korea, with a population of almost 49 million, is ranked seventh.

Ailing Mandela opens eyes, smiles on hearing of Obama's South Africa trip - World News

Ailing Mandela opens eyes, smiles on hearing of Obama's South Africa trip - World News: PRETORIA, South Africa - Nelson Mandela "opened his eyes" and smiled after being told of President Barack Obama's imminent visit to South Africa, his daughter said Tuesday, adding to speculation that the two men might meet.

The 94-year-old remains in a critical condition, South Africa’s government said Tuesday as relatives gathered at his home for a family meeting that local media reports described as “urgent.”

The anti-apartheid campaigner and democracy icon has been in hospital with a lung infection since June 8. His condition was downgraded over the weekend from "serious but stable" to “critical.”

Obama is due to leave Wednesday for Senegal, his first stop in a tour of Africa, before heading to South Africa on Friday.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Key Provision Of Voting Rights Law : The Two-Way : NPR

Supreme Court Strikes Down Key Provision Of Voting Rights Law : The Two-Way : NPR: By a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court has struck down a key provision of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act that establishes a formula to identify states that may require extra scrutiny by the Justice Department regarding voting procedures.

The decision focuses on Section 4 of the Act.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts writes that the decision "in no way affects the permanent, nationwide ban on racial discrimination in voting found in [Section] 2. We issue no holding on [Section] 5 itself, only on the coverage formula. Congress may draft another formula based on current conditions."

Legal scholar Jeffrey Toobin tells CNN that the court has effectively said "times have changed so much that the formula [for deciding which states are more prone to discriminate] is invalid."

And by striking Section 4, he said, "in practice, the other section of the law – Section 5 — is dormant."

As Demographics Shift, Kids' Books Stay Stubbornly White : Code Switch : NPR

As Demographics Shift, Kids' Books Stay Stubbornly White : Code Switch : NPR: When it comes to diversity, children's books are sorely lacking; instead of presenting a representative range of faces, they're overwhelmingly white. How bad is the disconnect? A by the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that only 3 percent of children's books are by or about Latinos — even though of all public school children today are Latino.

When kids are presented with bookshelves that unbalanced, parents can have a powerful influence. Take 8-year-old Havana Machado, who likes Dr. Seuss and . At her mothers' insistence, Havana also has lots of books featuring strong Latinas, like and from the American Girl Doll books. She says she likes these characters because, with their long, dark hair and olive skin, they look a lot like her.

Havana's mother, Melinda Machado, grew up in San Antonio, and her family is from Cuba and Mexico. She says she didn't see Latino characters in books when she was a little girl, so she makes sure her daughter does.

Supreme Court rules adoptive parents don’t have to turn over Native American girl | The Raw Story

Supreme Court rules adoptive parents don’t have to turn over Native American girl | The Raw Story: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out a lower court order requiring a South Carolina couple to turn over a young girl they had raised since birth to her biological father simply because he was an American Indian.

By a 5-4 vote, the court ruled in favor of Matt and Melanie Capobianco, who had been caring for the girl they named Veronica until a family court ordered them to turn her over to her biological father Dusten Brown, a member of the Cherokee Nation.

Brown had argued that the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, intended to curb practices that caused many Native American children to be separated from their families, entitled him to custody of the girl, who was 3/256th Cherokee.

He took custody at the end of 2011 when the girl was just over 2 years old, and South Carolina’s highest court later upheld his custody.
But conservative Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the Supreme Court majority, concluded that the law did not bar the termination of Brown’s parental rights.

John Lewis On Voting Rights Act: Supreme Court 'Put A Dagger In The Heart' Of The Law

John Lewis On Voting Rights Act: Supreme Court 'Put A Dagger In The Heart' Of The Law: On "Bloody Sunday," nearly 50 years ago, Hosea Williams and I led 600 peaceful, nonviolent protesters attempting to march from Selma to Montgomery to dramatize the need for voting rights protection in Alabama. As we crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, we were attacked by state troopers who tear-gassed, clubbed and whipped us and trampled us with horses. I was hit in the head with a nightstick and suffered a concussion on the bridge. Seventeen marchers were hospitalized that day.

In response, President Lyndon Johnson introduced the Voting Rights Act and later signed it into law. We have come a great distance since then, in large part thanks to the act, but efforts to undermine the voting power of minorities did not end after 1965. They still persist today.

Voting Rights Act Section 4 Struck Down By Supreme Court

Voting Rights Act Section 4 Struck Down By Supreme Court: The Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act on Tuesday, the provision of the landmark civil rights law that designates which parts of the country must have changes to their voting laws cleared by the federal government or in federal court.

The 5-4 ruling, authored by Chief Justice John Roberts and joined by Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, ruled in Shelby County v. Holder that “things have changed dramatically” in the South in the nearly 50 years since the Voting Rights Act was signed in 1965.

The court’s opinion said it did not strike down the act of Congress “lightly,” and said it “took care to avoid ruling on the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act” in a separate case back in 2009. “Congress could have updated the coverage formula at that time, but did not do so. Its failure to act leaves us today with no choice but to declare [Section 4] unconstitutional. The formula in that section can no longer be used as a basis for subjecting jurisdictions to preclearance.”

ETS Panelists Stress Leaders’ Commitment to Mission as Key to Closing Achievement Gap - Higher Education

ETS Panelists Stress Leaders’ Commitment to Mission as Key to Closing Achievement Gap - Higher Education: WASHINGTON — When prospective teachers interview for a job at Urban Prep Academies in Chicago, they are asked whether they believe all students can go to college and succeed.

“Believe it or not, people actually sit there in an interview and say ‘No, I don’t think they all can,’” said Tim King, founder, president and CEO of the all-male school network, which boasts a 100 percent college enrollment rate and an 80 percent college retention rate among its graduates.

“As soon as they make that response we say, ‘Thank for your time,’ and move on to the next interview,” King said.

King shared the story Monday while making a point about leadership during a panel discussion titled “Providing a Rigorous High-Quality Curriculum and Instruction for College and Career Readiness.”

The panel was part of the annual “Addressing Achievement Gaps” symposium jointly convened by ETS the Children’s Defense Fund. The theme of this year’s symposium was “Black Male Teens: Moving to Success in the High School Years.”

Supreme Court’s ‘Ostrich’ Logic on Affirmative Action - Higher Education

Supreme Court’s ‘Ostrich’ Logic on Affirmative Action - Higher Education: At least we have one U.S. Supreme Court justice interested in justice. At least we have one U.S. Supreme Court judge who has the courage to judge. At least we have one person on the highest legal bench in the land who is willing to stand up for truth.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court sent the Fisher v. University of Texas case back to the lower courts for another “strict” review. Writing for the 7-1 majority, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said, “Strict scrutiny does not permit a court to accept a school’s assertion that its admissions process uses race in a permissible way without closely examining how the process works in practice.” Going forward, courts must “verify that it is necessary for a university to use race to achieve the educational benefits of diversity.”

The lone dissenter, interested in justice, with the courage to judge, and the willingness to stand up for truth was Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She said she would have upheld the appeals court decision allowing the admissions program at the University of Texas.

Number Of U.S. Children Living In Poverty Grew To 23 Percent In 2011: Survey

Number Of U.S. Children Living In Poverty Grew To 23 Percent In 2011: Survey: An annual survey released Monday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows the number of children living in poverty increased to 23 percent in 2011, after the recession.

The Southwest has been hit particularly hard. New Mexico, for the first time, has slipped to worst in the nation when it comes to child well-being. More than 30 percent of children in the state were living in poverty in 2011 and nearly two-fifths had parents who lacked secure employment, according to this year's Kids Count survey.

Nevada is ranked No. 48, followed by Arizona. Mississippi, which has traditionally held last place, made slight improvements in early childhood education while reading and math proficiency for some students increased, putting the state at No. 49.

Overall, the report shows there have been gains in education and health nationally, but since 2005, there have been serious setbacks when it comes to the economic well-being of children.

Monday, June 24, 2013

New Study Shows Minorities Diagnosed Less With ADHD

New Study Shows Minorities Diagnosed Less With ADHD: A new study in pediatrics shows minority children are less likely than white children to be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder.

This study followed 15 thousand children from kindergarten to eighth grade. The results concerning, because it means some kids who could benefit from treatment, may be missing out.

Studley Robson works with children with learning disorders at LearningRx. She does tests to see how people's brains work and works with people of all races.

Robson says, "not necessarily that they're black, hispanic, white, or anything in between, it's just when test results come out, and all skills are low, they're basically saying their cognitive skills are matching their ability."

She says that could just mean the child has low potential and that is why they score low, even without having an attention disorder.

She plays games to help increase brain function. But getting outside help like this may be hard for some.

Supreme Court Sends Affirmative Action Case Back To Lower Court : The Two-Way : NPR

Supreme Court Sends Affirmative Action Case Back To Lower Court : The Two-Way : NPR: One of the Supreme Court's most anticipated cases of its current term — a challenge to the University of Texas' affirmative action admissions process — has ended with a ruling that does not revisit the fundamental issue of whether such programs discriminate against whites.

In an 7-1 ruling, the high court "vacated and remanded" an earlier decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which had upheld the university's program. (Justice Elena Kagan recused herself because when she was a lawyer at the Justice Department she had been involved in the case.)

The case originated with a young woman named Abigail Fisher. She and another student, who later withdrew as a plaintiff, say they were denied, to the University of Texas at Austin because of their race. Specifically, since Fisher failed to meet the school's academic requirements for automatic admission, her application was evaluated based on a number of other factors, including race.

What Happens Without Affirmative Action: The Story Of UCLA : NPR

What Happens Without Affirmative Action: The Story Of UCLA : NPR: The Supreme Court is expected to rule this week on a case that may shake up race-conscious admissions in higher education. The justices could change the shape of affirmative action or even strike it down altogether.

California is one of eight states that have already scrapped affirmative action. That means state schools can no longer consider the race of its applicants. At the University of California, Los Angeles, the change has been messy, ambiguous — and sometimes a little ugly.

After the state passed the ban in 1996, the percentages of black and Latino students at UCLA quickly began to fall. Things came to a head in 2006. That year, in a freshman class of nearly 5,000 students, just 96 were African-American.

Corey Matthews — one of the "Infamous 96," as those students came to be known — said it shaped his experience at the huge school. Even in lecture halls filled with hundreds of students, he says, he was often the only African-American student.

Deconstructing Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Dream : Code Switch : NPR

Deconstructing Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Dream : Code Switch : NPR: "We want all of our rights!" Martin Luther King, Jr. told a throng of people gathered in and around Detroit's Cobo Arena on June 23, 1963. He was speaking at what he called the largest and greatest demonstration for freedom ever held in the United States. "We want them here, and we want them now!" he said.

Fifty years ago this August, King gave the iconic "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington. But the first time King spoke of his dream of equality and brotherhood between the races, was earlier that summer in Detroit .

Parts of King's Detroit speech may sound familiar to those who have heard the address he gave at the March on Washington. But the Detroit speech was tailored especially for a city with a long history of Civil Rights activism.

"I have a dream this afternoon, that one day, right here in Detroit," King said, "Negroes will be able to buy a house or rent a house anywhere that their money will carry them, and they will be able to get a job."

Organizers of "The Walk to Freedom" wanted to speak out against the brutality that Civil Rights activists faced in the South. They also wanted to address the inequities in jobs, housing and education faced by blacks in the North. King's speech dealt with it all.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

BBC News - Nelson Mandela 'critically ill in hospital'

BBC News - Nelson Mandela 'critically ill in hospital': Nelson Mandela has become critically ill in hospital, the South African presidency has announced.

In a statement, President Jacob Zuma said Mr Mandela's doctors were "doing everything possible to get his condition to improve".

"He is in good hands," said Mr Zuma.

South Africa's first black president, who is 94, was taken to hospital earlier this month for the third time this year, with a recurrent lung infection.

The statement said Mr Zuma had visited Mr Mandela in hospital in Pretoria on Sunday evening and was told the former president's condition had worsened over the past 24 hours.

"The doctors are doing everything possible to get his condition to improve and are ensuring that Madiba is well-looked after and is comfortable. He is in good hands," said President Zuma, using Mr Mandela's clan name by which he is widely known in South Africa.

Veterans of forgotten voting war count the cost - CNN.com

Veterans of forgotten voting war count the cost - CNN.com: On the night of June 12, 1963, Bernard Lafayette was walking up the driveway to his home when he heard the sound of footsteps closing in on him from behind.

He turned to see a muscular, thick-necked man with a crew cut staring down at him. "Buddy," the man said as he motioned to a stalled car in the street, "how much would you charge me to give me a push?"

Lafayette sighed with relief, and walked toward the stalled car. Suddenly, though, the man whipped out a gun and started bashing him on the forehead. With blood dripping onto his eyelashes, Lafayette staggered to his feet and watched as the man stepped back, ready to pull the trigger.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Nelson Mandela Remains In 'Serious But Stable' Condition

Nelson Mandela Remains In 'Serious But Stable' Condition: JOHANNESBURG, June 22 (Reuters) - Former South African president Nelson Mandela remains in a "serious but stable" condition in hospital, the government said on Saturday.

Consistent with previous updates from the presidency, the statement shows that the 94-year-old anti-apartheid hero's health is little changed since his admission to a Pretoria hospital two weeks ago.

Mandela, who became South Africa's first black president in 1994, was rushed to a Pretoria hospital early on June 8 with a recurring respiratory infection.

The presidency also confirmed that the intensive care ambulance carrying former South African president Nelson Mandela to hospital two weeks ago broke down. Media reports said he was stranded for 40 minutes.

Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said the former president was transferred to another military ambulance for the remainder of the almost 50 minute journey between Johannesburg and the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria.

"All care was taken to ensure that former president Mandela's medical condition was not compromised by the unforeseen incident," Maharaj said. He would not say how long Mandela's journey to hospital had been delayed by the breakdown.

Brazil's Indians Reclaim Land, Citing Promises, Using Force : Parallels : NPR

Brazil's Indians Reclaim Land, Citing Promises, Using Force : Parallels : NPR: It was once the cattle farm of a former congressman, but now his stately house in the western Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul is a burned-out shell. Thatch huts are being built in the shade of flowering palm trees. Once the purview of one farmer's family, it now is occupied by dozens of indigenous ones.

Indian activists say this is just the beginning.

This bucolic spot — called the Buriti farm — is now the unlikely epicenter of tensions erupting the length and breadth of rural Brazil. The indigenous tribes of this vast country are seeking the land rights they say they've historically been denied.

Alberto, a 46-year-old teacher, is a member of the Terena Indian tribe, which lays claim to around 17,000 hectares here. The tribe's reservation now is only 2,000 hectares, too small, Alberto says, for the community.

It's a fight that in this farm alone has already cost one tribesman his life this month — shot by police who were trying to evict them. Other indigenous groups have moved to block large infrastructure projects like the Belo Monte Dam.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Marking 50th anniversary of Gwynn Oak Park protests - baltimoresun.com

Marking 50th anniversary of Gwynn Oak Park protests - baltimoresun.com: The Gwynn Oak Park I visited this week, as maintained by the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks, looks pretty much like what you would expect of a 64-acre grassy picnic area. There's a set of playground equipment, playing fields, a volleyball net and a nice water hole created along the meandering Gwynns Falls.

I had not walked through Gwynn Oak since the early 1960s, when I recall spending a day there with classmates. The park was then filled with amusement rides, a train and boats in the pond. It was also segregated and closed to Baltimore's African-American families.

That changed in the summer of 1963, when a well-organized series of demonstrations and well-publicized arrests put the shame of segregation in a national perspective. Local activists, as well as prominent members of the national clergy, converged on this corner of Baltimore County just outside the city limits. It was a high point of the civil rights movement in Baltimore.

Virginia, North Carolina Schools, Universities Partner to Provide STEM Opportunities to Minorities - Higher Education

Virginia, North Carolina Schools, Universities Partner to Provide STEM Opportunities to Minorities - Higher Education: A growing number of colleges and universities are gaining an edge on recruiting and retaining more minority students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics by forming cross-campus partnerships.

Through these partnerships, public, private and historically Black colleges exchange resources and best practices to implement programs focused on student support, academic enrichment and research skill development. Such alliances also allow schools to pursue grant money toward increasing enrollment among underrepresented groups. Recently, the Virginia-North Carolina Alliance for Minority Participation received a second, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation to assist minority students in STEM. With the additional infusion of $3.5 million, the Alliance can augment its summer transition programs, peer mentoring, academic monitoring, workshops, summer research experiences, living learning community and field trips.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

A Lifeline for Minorities, Catholic Schools Retrench - NYTimes.com

A Lifeline for Minorities, Catholic Schools Retrench - NYTimes.com: Sonia Sotomayor lives in Washington, but she has never forgotten her roots in the Bronx. On a drizzly March afternoon, she returned to Blessed Sacrament School, where she began her celebrated, if improbable, journey from her South Bronx childhood to the Supreme Court. But instead of a joyous reunion, it was more of a valedictory for her and the children — the school is closing for good.

“I’m really upset,” Justice Sotomayor told a fourth-grade class. “It’s hard to say goodbye. I won’t tell you it’s easy. I won’t lie to you.”
The children drew close and peppered her with questions: Why is the archdiocese closing the school? Doesn’t it know their parents worked hard? Why couldn’t it come up with the money? One girl, crying, got up and slumped into Justice Sotomayor’s embrace. The justice, her voice steady and reassuring, reminded the children to cherish the good times and move confidently ahead. But later, she, too, revealed her pain. 

“The worst thing is, these kids could lose their faith in the adults around them,” she said in an interview inside her old fifth-grade classroom. “Children need to feel secure. This makes it worse. These kids are going to carry this trauma with them for the rest of their lives.” 

All-white town fights to preserve segregation in Mandela's 'Rainbow Nation' - World News

All-white town fights to preserve segregation in Mandela's 'Rainbow Nation' - World News: KLEINFONTEIN, South Africa - An all-white enclave less than an hour from South Africa’s capital is fighting to hold on to a segregated life reminiscent of the country before Nelson Mandela toppled the apartheid regime.

“We feel that our culture is being threatened and we want to protect it and we want to nurture it,” said Marisa Haasbroek, a writer and mother who serves as voluntary spokeswoman for a gated community called Kleinfontein.

Kleinfontein does not hide its ties to South Africa’s divided past, nor its mistrust of the country’s present: At its entrance stands a bust of Hendrik Verwoerd, who is seen as the father of apartheid.

A fence surrounds its almost 2,000 acres and guards in fatigues police at the entrance of the community condemned as "racist" by some critics. Among the reasons that Haasbroek and others in the cooperative town cite for walling themselves off are the country’s high crime rates and institutionalized affirmative action, which they say results in white people being frozen out of jobs and university places. 

Diverse and Pearson Host Executive Leadership Conference for HBCUs - Higher Education

Diverse and Pearson Host Executive Leadership Conference for HBCUs - Higher Education: A number of historically Black college and university presidents and administrators convened recently to address some of the most difficult challenges facing HBCUs, including funding, graduation rates and the STEM talent pool.

During a two-day executive leadership forum sponsored by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education and Pearson, the HBCU leaders were encouraged to maximize their unique campus assets, create partnerships to benefit from grants and government-funded research, and strengthen online communities. The forum was the first collaborative effort between Diverse and Pearson.

Held at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, Stedman Graham, educator, author and CEO of S. Graham and Associates, kicked off the event by addressing student success and retention. Graham discussed identity challenges that hamper learning and offered recommendations on how to address them. He also shared personal stories of struggling to overcome external labels placed on him coming from a family with two disabled siblings and few encouraging mentors.

Study: Economic Diversity Not a Substitute for Racially Diverse Student Body - Higher Education

Study: Economic Diversity Not a Substitute for Racially Diverse Student Body - Higher Education: With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to determine the legality of race-conscious admissions in higher education, a peer-reviewed study published this month in a leading education research journal contends that, while socioeconomic and racial diversity contribute to a positive racial climate on campus, socioeconomic diversity is not a substitute for racial diversity.

In “Does Socioeconomic Diversity Make a Difference? Examining the Effects of Racial and Socioeconomic Diversity on the Campus Climate for Diversity,” published in the American Educational Research Journal, the authors reject the notion that class-based affirmative action alone will bring about a full range of diversity-related educational benefits to college campuses. Instead, lead author Julie J. Park, an assistant professor of education at the University of Maryland (UMD), says that, on its own, socioeconomic status falls short as a back-door way to diversity.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Frederick Douglass Statue To Be Unveiled In U.S. Capitol's Emancipation Hall

Frederick Douglass Statue To Be Unveiled In U.S. Capitol's Emancipation Hall: Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday used a tribute to 19th-century abolitionist Frederick Douglass to renew the call for equal voting rights for people who live in the nation's capital.

During a ceremony unveiling a statue of Douglass in the Capitol, Biden hailed Douglass' work advocating equal justice, and noted that Douglass supported complete voting rights for residents of the District of Columbia, where Douglass once lived.

Although each of the 50 states was allowed two statues of notable citizens in the Capitol, the District of Columbia was not allowed any statue until a measure passed by Congress last year. Residents chose to honor Douglass, whose home near the Anacostia River is a national historic site.

Biden said he and President Barack Obama back Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District's nonvoting delegate to Congress, in her effort to bring statehood and full voting rights to the city.

ACLU Racial Profiling App Allows Users To Report Abuse Under Arizona Immigration Law

ACLU Racial Profiling App Allows Users To Report Abuse Under Arizona Immigration Law: Critics of Arizona’s SB 1070 have found a new way of fighting the controversial law -- technology.

On Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona released a bilingual mobile phone application that not only informs users of their rights when stopped by law enforcement officers, but also allows them to report racial profiling under SB 1070.

Arizona's SB 1070 originally barred undocumented immigrants from working in the state, allowed for arrests without warrants in some situations and made it a state crime for immigrants to not carry papers. Those three provisions were struck down by the Supreme Court in June 2012, but one other provision stood -- section 2B, which requires police officers to check the immigration status of a detained, stopped or arrested person if they reasonably suspect he or she could be an undocumented immigrant.

Obama’s Former Spiritual Advisor Joshua DuBois on The Fight for Black Men - Newsweek and The Daily Beast

Obama’s Former Spiritual Advisor Joshua DuBois on The Fight for Black Men - Newsweek and The Daily Beast
There is an easy way to meet Joe Jones, and a hard way. Let’s start with the easy way. If you and I were at a cocktail party, I’d introduce you to a tall, bald, black man, standing a shoulder above most everybody else. Knowing Joe Jones, he’d probably be wearing a tan suit and muted tie. Joe’s subdued, square-rimmed glasses fit nicely with his veiled intellect—he’s the kind of guy who readily drops six-dollar words without a hint of pretense.

I’d probably ask Joe to tell you about the nonprofit he runs, the Center for Urban Families on Baltimore’s West Side. CFUF is a national model for helping men and women who are confronting addiction, poverty, and despair turn their lives around, and teaching absent fathers how to reconnect with their kids. Joe’s a modest guy, so I’d have to brag on his behalf, about the bigwigs who have dropped by his center, and all the awards the organization has won.

Finally, I’d say in passing: “You know, Joe has a powerful personal story himself. His own father wasn’t around, he struggled in the streets for a while, and then pulled himself up, and made it out.” Nice and neat. Joe would nod and smile. You’d nod and smile. I’d nod and smile. We’d all be smiling—appropriately inspired.

Worried about NSA snooping? Try getting bent over the hood of your car by police. - The Washington Post

Worried about NSA snooping? Try getting bent over the hood of your car by police. - The Washington Post: In the years since, that same police tactic, known as “stop and frisk,” has become one of the most used — and abused — methods of operation in the war on drugs. Are you worried about the National Security Agency waging a war on terror by going through your telephone logs? Try getting bent over the hood of your car and having police go through your pockets.

In New York City, where a lawsuit challenging “stop and frisk” is being heard in federal court, an analysis by the American Civil Liberties Union found that “innocent New Yorkers have been subjected to police stops and street interrogations more than 4 million times since 2002, and that black and Latino communities continue to be the overwhelming target of these tactics.”

In a city of 8 million people, that is equal to half the population. Sure, some guns and drugs have been confiscated. But the jury is out on whether the practice has, in fact, caused a drop in homicides. It could just as easily be that gunshot victims are being saved because of better-equipped emergency medical vehicles and highly skilled medical technicians.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

'Dark Girls' Documentary: Black Women Talk Beauty, Prejudice And Self-Esteem Struggles (VIDEO)

'Dark Girls' Documentary: Black Women Talk Beauty, Prejudice And Self-Esteem Struggles (VIDEO): The fascinating and controversial documentary "Dark Girls" explores the prejudices that black women face throughout the world, as told through their personal stories. One such woman shares a revelation she had after a trip to Mexico, where the locals' reaction to her dark skin stood in stark contrast to the typical -- and perplexing -- reaction she says she receives from members of her own race.

While visiting Cancun several years ago, this African-American woman remembers the compliments and attention she received on the trip. "When I got over there, I had the men all at my feet. I got a proposal, I got gifts. I'm like, 'What is going on?'" she says. "They would tell me, 'You have such beautiful skin. Is that your hair? Did you dye it? Is that your natural color?'"

It's an entirely different reaction than she gets from other African Americans. "Black folks look at me like, 'She's just black. Why are they tripping so?'" the woman says. "It's really questionable to me. Why is it that... my own people don't see any beauty in me at all?"

Buffalo Soldiers Bill Aims To Honor Nation's First Black Army

Buffalo Soldiers Bill Aims To Honor Nation's First Black Army: SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- In the decades after the Civil War, the nation's first black Army regiments guarded Yosemite and Sequoia national parks against poaching and timber thefts, a role that in hindsight made them some of the United States' first park rangers.

Now as the National Park Service prepares for its 100th anniversary in 2016, there is a move in Congress to formally recognize the role of these "Buffalo Soldiers," who set aside their guns to build the first trail to the top of Mt. Whitney and the first wagon road into the Giant Forest.

On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Francisco, allowing the federal government to study creation of a national historic trail along the 280-mile route the soldiers traveled between The Presidio in San Francisco, where they were stationed, and the Sierra Nevada they patrolled.

Affirmative Action Case Sparks Debate Over Race vs. Class - Higher Education

Affirmative Action Case Sparks Debate Over Race vs. Class - Higher Education: In post-Great Recession America, which is the bigger barrier to opportunity—race or class?

A decade ago, the U.S. Supreme Court kept the focus on race as a barrier, upholding the right of colleges to make limited use of racial preferences to ensure a diverse student body. But in a ruling due this month, the court is widely expected to roll back that decision. Such an outcome would shift attention more toward a less constitutionally controversial practice: giving a boost to socioeconomically disadvantaged students, regardless of race.

If that happens, it would reflect more than just a more conservative makeup of the justices. Over the last decade, clogged social mobility and rising economic inequality have shifted the conversation on campuses and in the country as a whole.

As a barrier to opportunity, class is getting more attention, while race is fading.

“The cultural zeitgeist has changed,” said Peter Sacks, author of the book “Tearing Down the Gates: Confronting the Class Divide in American Education.”

Monday, June 17, 2013

How Do You Teach The Civil Rights Movement? : Code Switch : NPR

How Do You Teach The Civil Rights Movement? : Code Switch : NPR: Note: As part of NPR's series on the summer of 1963, reporter Cory Turner headed to Jackson, Miss. to take a look at how folks are teaching the Civil Rights movement to kids who weren't a part of it — and making the lessons stick.

Much has changed in the past 50 years, since the height of the Civil Rights movement. But how do you teach the Civil Rights to kids who haven't ever experienced it? In Jackson, Miss., Fannie Lou Hamer Institute's Summer Youth Workshop tackles that question.

Take 13-year-old Jermany Gray, for instance. Gray and his fellow students are all African-American, and many of them are from Jackson. They're familiar with the struggle for civil rights — they read about it in text books and saw it in museum exhibits. But for most, it's a story that ended long before they were even born.

Gray has no problem talking about what the Civil Rights movement was back in the '60s, but when asked what it means to him these days, the answer doesn't come as easily.

"What does it mean? I'll have to think about that question," he said. "Maybe I can answer that at the end of the week."

For People Of Color, A Housing Market Partially Hidden From View : Code Switch : NPR

For People Of Color, A Housing Market Partially Hidden From View : Code Switch : NPR: We've written before about the wealth gap between whites and people of color — a divide that's only grown wider over the last half-decade. And since so much of Americans' household wealth is wrapped up in homes, a significant amount of that wealth gap has been chalked up to an array of barriers to homeownership for people of color.

Here's another sobering data point to that end: a new study has found that black, Latinos and Asians looking for homes were shown fewer housing options than whites who were equally qualified. And fewer options meant higher housing costs.

The study, conducted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Urban Institute (a nonpartisan think tank in Washington) used a method called "pair testing." Two people — one person of color and one white person — called and then visited a real estate office to ask about an available property for rent or sale.

Minority children with autism lack access to specialists – The Chart - CNN.com Blogs

Minority children with autism lack access to specialists – The Chart - CNN.com Blogs: Editor's Note: Dr. Arshya Vahabzadeh is a resident psychiatrist at Emory University's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health.

African-American and Hispanic children are far less likely to be seen by specialists - for autism, but also other medical conditions - and also less likely to receive specialized medical tests than their white peers, according to a new study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Dr. Sarahbeth Broder-Fingert and colleagues studied the records of 3,615 children with autism at the Massachusetts General Hospital, specifically looking at the rates of both referral to specialists and medical tests undertaken. They discovered that children from African-American and Hispanic families were far less likely to receive specialized care or specific medical tests such as a sleep study, colonoscopy, or endoscopy.

When compared to their white peers, African-American children were three times less likely to see a gastroenterologist or nutritionist, and half as likely to see a neurologist or mental health specialist, according to the study. The story is similar among children from Hispanic families.

UNCF Launches New Campaign to Invest in African-American Students - Higher Education

UNCF Launches New Campaign to Invest in African-American Students - Higher Education: WASHINGTON—The United Negro College Fund has put a spin on its memorable tagline, “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste,” to stress the importance of investing in a college education for young African-Americans.

At an event at the Department of Education on Friday, UNCF President Dr. Michael Lomax introduced the “Better Futures” campaign, which features the new tagline “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste, But a Wonderful Thing to Invest In” and new public service advertisements, to an intimate room of higher education leaders and advocates, including Chancellor of D.C. Public Schools Kaya Henderson, former UNCF executive director Vernon Jordan and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Grandson Says Mandela's Health Improving - ABC News

Grandson Says Mandela's Health Improving - ABC News: Former South Africa President Nelson Mandela's health has improved, his grandson said Saturday as the 94-year-old spent his eighth day in the hospital recovering from a lung infection.

Mandla Mandela said that when he left his grandfather in Pretoria, before heading to Qunu for a family memorial, "we saw the improvement in his health."

"The old man is not only ours, but he is for the people of South Africa, Africa, and the whole world," he said at the funeral of elderly cousin, Florence Nondlela Mandela, in Mandela's home village in South Africa's Eastern Cape. "We would like to say, even tomorrow, these prayers are the ones that will make him strong, so that he can feel better and rise from that hospital bed."

Dozens of children traveled from Soweto to the northern Johannesburg suburb of Houghton where Mandela lives. In light blue hats, white and orange tops, and blue skirts, some held mini South African flags and marched down the street, singing the national anthem. Others in the group held posters that said "We love you Tata," and "Long Live."

New Ads Still Warn A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste : Code Switch : NPR

New Ads Still Warn A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste : Code Switch : NPR: A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste — you know the phrase, you've heard it.

That's because the iconic slogan, dreamt up by the advertising agency Young & Rubicam goes back more than four decades. It was meant to promote the United Negro College Fund scholarship program for black students. The slogan practically part of the national consciousness, like Have a Coke and a smile.

...At an event at the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., on Friday afternoon, the UNCF announced a new ad campaign. Michael Lomax, the head of the UNCF, said the organization decided to quit using actors for its ads in favor of real college kids. And it changed its famous slogan to something a little longer and clunkier: "A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste but a Wonderful Thing to Invest In." The new campaign's tagline is called "Invest in Better Futures."

Several current undergraduate students who had received UNCF scholarships took the stage and spoke movingly about their aspirations and how the scholarship money brought those dreams closer to realization. Each of the students punctuated his or her story with the same phrase: "I am your dividend."

Race vs. Class - The False Dichotomy - NYTimes.com

Race vs. Class - The False Dichotomy - NYTimes.com: ...Perhaps it is the presence of a black president that has encouraged so many to believe that race is simply no longer a significant factor in American life. It is true that we have come a long way since the days of Jim Crow segregation. But the plain fact is that race still matters.

It matters with frightening frequency in the encounters of young black men with the police. It matters in our ability to get access to affordable housing, and in the wealth accumulated (or not) by our families. Whether the name on our résumé is Lakeisha or Leslie matters when we try to get a job interview. And it matters often, though not always, in our views about the continuing significance of race in American life.

Race isn’t the only factor that matters, of course, and universities should take seriously their obligation to educate poor students of all races. But nor should class be the only factor: after all, it was also true in the early 1960s that ignoring race and merely providing more resources to segregated schools would have benefited some poor black students — but that certainly didn’t mean that separate was equal, or that segregation was constitutional, or that pushing for desegregation was a waste of time.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Alcorn State Celebrates Medgar Evers’ Civil Rights Legacy - Higher Education

Alcorn State Celebrates Medgar Evers’ Civil Rights Legacy - Higher Education: LORMAN, Miss. — It was fitting that the weeklong commemoration of Medgar Evers’ contributions to the Civil Rights movement should be capped off at a historically Black university that played a vital role in his life and his commitment to social justice.

Alcorn State University, a thriving land-grant institution in rural Mississippi, hosted the last leg of celebrations in the state honoring Evers 50 years after his assassination.

Evers was a graduate of Alcorn, and his widow, Myrlie Evers-Williams, holds the position of distinguished scholar-in-residence. On Thursday, Alcorn brought together speakers, entertainers and dignitaries for the Medgar Wiley Evers Memorial dedication.

The highlight of the event was the unveiling of a larger-than-life bronze statue of Evers located in the heart of the sprawling campus, where Evers-Williams helped establish a social justice institute in his honor.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Census Shows Continued Change In America's Racial Makeup : Code Switch : NPR

Census Shows Continued Change In America's Racial Makeup : Code Switch : NPR: Asian-Americans were the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in America, now comprising almost 19 million people, according to data released Thursday by the Census Bureau.

And the state with the fastest-growing Asian population? South Dakota. Home to Mount Rushmore, Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little Town on the Prairie," and now Kharka Khapangi — a Bhutanese refugee who moved from the state of Washington to Sioux Falls, S.D., in 2011.

"It's easy to find a job here in South Dakota, so people from other states, they are also moving here," Khapangi said.

South Dakota's Asian population grew just more than 7 percent last year, to almost 12,000, which may not seem like much compared to the 6 million Asians living in California. But the Census Bureau says it shows just how much the Asian population has grown overall throughout the country to become the nation's fastest-growing racial group.

LAFD expresses 'sincere regret' regarding Mexican costumes at fundraiser - latimes.com

LAFD expresses 'sincere regret' regarding Mexican costumes at fundraiser - latimes.com: A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman expressed "sincere regret" Thursday for any "implied insensitivity" related to costumes of Mexican men worn at a recent downtown fundraising event. The department will review the use of such costumes at future events, the spokesman said.

Links to photographs from the event were forwarded last week from the official Twitter account of LAFD Chief Brian Cummings. One photo shows the chief with three men in LAFD apparel wearing sombreros and exaggerated fake mustaches. After inquiries from The Times, the department apologized for the imagery and the chief deleted his “retweet” of the photograph.

"There is sincere regret if that photo implied insensitivity," said Battalion Chief Armando Hogan, the LAFD’s spokesman. "It was in no way intended to be disrespectful to anyone."

NBC News/WSJ poll: Affirmative action support at historic low

As the country awaits the Supreme Court's decision on the constitutionality of the University of Texas' consideration of race (among other admissions factors) to ensure a diverse student body, NBC reported on Tuesday on the results of a poll whose results show that a "record low number of Americans support such programs."
Just 45 percent of respondents said they believe affirmative action programs are still needed to counteract the effects of discrimination against minorities, while an equal 45 percent feel the programs have gone too far and should be ended because they unfairly discriminate against whites.
That's true, but a closer look reveals a wide divide on the issue along racial and ideological lines:
Among whites polled, almost six in 10 (56 percent) oppose affirmative action. But among minorities asked, eight in 10 blacks and six in 10 Hispanics favor it.
There is also an ideological split, with 67 percent of Democrats saying the programs are still needed, compared to 22 percent of Republicans and 17 percent of Tea Party supporters. And just 39 percent of independents agree that affirmative action should be continued.
"Right now, I feel like it's reverse discrimination," said one poll respondent, a white, 69-year-old retired teacher from Rhode Island, who was interviewed for this story and did not wish to be identified. "I did support it at first, but, gradually, because of this reverse discrimination it's gone too far."

Dunkin’ Donuts workers who calmly handled ranting racist woman in viral video to get reward | The Raw Story

Dunkin’ Donuts workers who calmly handled ranting racist woman in viral video to get reward | The Raw Story: Dunkin’ Donuts plans to reward two employees in Florida for facing down a racist-flavored tirade from a bullying customer who recorded her own outburst in a video gone viral.

In a case of webshaming gone afoul, twenty-something Taylor Chapman berated duty manager Abid Adar for a free meal last week in return for not getting a receipt on her previous visit — standard policy for the coffee-shop chain.

Informing Adar he is “under video surveillance,” she threatened legal action, tried to drag other customers into the dispute and ranted about going on a “one-way” space trip to Mars.

Racial profiling provision of immigration bill scrutinized - baltimoresun.com

Racial profiling provision of immigration bill scrutinized - baltimoresun.com: A coalition of civil liberties and immigrant-rights advocates led by Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland wants to strengthen a provision in the Senate's sweeping immigration bill that would prohibit law enforcement agencies from racial profiling.

The 867-page, bipartisan immigration bill, which is expected to dominate the agenda in Congress this summer, would impose a first-ever federal prohibition on profiling. But advocates are concerned that broad exemptions contained in the proposal — including one for "national security" — would undermine its impact.

Racial profiling is one of dozens of issues expected to trigger debate as lawmakers begin digging into the specifics of the legislation, which would be the first overhaul of U.S. immigration law in nearly 30 years.

The effort to change the proposal, Cardin and advocates acknowledge, will be tough.

"It's not as strong as it needs to be," the Democrat said. "We are looking at whether we can strengthen it."

Partnership Programs Make College a Reality for First-Generation Students - Higher Education

Partnership Programs Make College a Reality for First-Generation Students - Higher Education: Even though college is several years away for 15-year-old Alex Martinez, the New Jersey high school freshman has already gotten a taste of college life.

“There’s a lot more freedom,” Martinez says of his experience attending a high-level psychology class on the New Brunswick campus of Rutgers University. “Many students had their laptops out and taking notes. But in high school you can’t do that. There’s a lot more rules in high school.”

Martinez adds, “In college it’s like the teachers let you do whatever you want. It’s your problem if you don’t take notes.”

Martinez’s college mentor, Katherine Finer, who graduated from Rutgers this spring, says by bringing Martinez to her psychology class, she was able to relate the message: “This is what needs to be done to get here.”

Martinez — a freshman at the Health Sciences Technology High School in New Brunswick — is getting his college experience through a program called Rutgers Future Scholars.

Commission Recommends Elevating Standards for Teacher Preparation - Higher Education

Commission Recommends Elevating Standards for Teacher Preparation - Higher Education:... The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), the newly formed national teacher education accrediting body, assembled the 28-member commission of educators who represent P-12 and higher education. The CAEP board is expected to vote this summer on the recommendations.

The standards, considered among the most far-reaching for the field and contentious, will overhaul how teacher preparation is done, said CAEP officials. Standards that boost requirements for student selection, for example, and that are based on evidence, continuous improvement, innovation and clinical practice are what the field needs to ensure that high-quality, well-educated teachers are teaching all children, said CAEP President James Cibulka. However, a group of deans representing the historically Black colleges and universities of teacher education, say they are not so sure. They have maintained that raising the bar on admissions, for example, may “exacerbate the shortage of teachers from underrepresented groups and result in teaching becoming a profession of privilege, which would be a tremendous disservice to the growing number of children, especially those from underrepresented ethnic groups and/or who live in poverty.”

White deaths outnumber births for first time - The Washington Post

White deaths outnumber births for first time - The Washington Post: More white people died in the United States last year than were born, a surprising slump coming more than a decade before the Census Bureau says that the ranks of white Americans will likely drop with every passing year.

Population estimates for 2012 released Thursday show what’s known as a natural decrease — a straightforward calculation of births minus deaths — of about 12,400 people among the nation’s 198 million non-Hispanic whites.

Although the percentage is small, several demographers said they are not aware of another time in U.S. history — not even during the Depression or wars — when there was such shrinkage among the dominant racial group. No other group showed a similar falloff.

The decrease was offset by 188,000 white immigrants, most from Canada and Germany but also from Russia and Saudi Arabia. And non-Hispanic whites remain the single largest group, making up 63 percent of the country.

But demographers were surprised by the outsize drop in births compared with deaths, which the Census Bureau projects will begin happening with regularity by 2025.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Opinion: The importance of ‘Loving’ in the face of racism – In America - CNN.com Blogs

Opinion: The importance of ‘Loving’ in the face of racism – In America - CNN.com Blogs: Racism is alive and well in 2013, and what’s striking is the recent notable examples aimed at interracial couples - or one of their children.

Even breakfast cereal commercials aren’t safe. A recent Cheerios ad depicting an interracial couple and their multiracial child got so many racist remarks on YouTube that the company had to disable the comments.

There is nothing out of the ordinary about the commercial, except that the parents happen to be an interracial couple.

But the truth is, racially blended families are becoming more ordinary every day, due to the 1967 Supreme Court decision that declared all laws against interracial marriage unconstitutional.

Yityish Aynaw: Meet the first black Miss Israel - CNN.com

Yityish Aynaw: Meet the first black Miss Israel - CNN.com: CNN) -- At just 21 years old, Yityish Aynaw has gone on a remarkable life journey from a little girl playing barefoot in an Ethiopian village to an Israeli beauty queen who's ready to shine on the world stage.

Last February, the stunning 21-year-old grabbed international attention after becoming the first woman of African descent to be crowned Miss Israel at the country's beauty pageant.

"To be first, you have all the attention focused on you and I have to represent my whole ethnic group because through me they see the models," says Aynaw, who will represent Israel at the next Miss Universe contest. "Through me they see and discover our whole ethnic group."
Department of Housing and Urban Development. Though less likely to face overt obstacles, like being refused an appointment to see a home, minority customers were shown fewer available units than whites with similar qualifications, the study found.

Discrimination against blacks, Hispanics and Asians looking for housing persists in subtle forms, according to a new national study commissioned by the federal

They were also asked more questions about their finances, according to the study, and given fewer offers of help financing a loan. 

“Although we’ve come a long way from the days of blatant, in-your-face housing injustice, discrimination still persists,” Shaun Donovan, the department’s secretary, said in a telephone conference on Tuesday unveiling the findings. “And just because it has taken on a hidden form doesn’t make it any less harmful.” 

In each of the study’s 8,000 tests, one white and one minority tester of the same gender and age, posing as equally well-qualified renters or buyers, visited the same housing provider or agent. In more than half the test cases, both testers were shown the same number of apartments or homes. But in cases where one tester was shown more homes or apartments, the white tester was usually favored, leading to a higher number of units shown to whites overall.

Duke Launches Program to Aid Minority Students in Science Majors - Higher Education

Duke Launches Program to Aid Minority Students in Science Majors - Higher Education: Angelical Martin enjoys the collaborative exchange of knowledge and ideas in the scientific field, but as a second-year Duke University graduate student studying cellular and molecular biology, the Detroit native is often left feeling isolated and unable to relate to her peers.

“Science is hard and lonely,” says Martin. “Countless times I experienced self-discouragement and self-doubt because I didn’t see people in academia that looked like me or talked like me.”

Minority students such as Martin often find it challenging when pursuing specialized careers to adjust to an environment that traditionally is predominantly White and male. Duke University found that many of its minority undergraduate students enrolled in science majors only to exit the program before graduating. Its graduate students entered at a lower rate but remained in the program longer.

Widow Works to Preserve Evers’ Civil Rights Legacy - Higher Education

Widow Works to Preserve Evers’ Civil Rights Legacy - Higher Education: JACKSON, Miss. — Myrlie Evers-Williams acknowledges it would be easy to remain mired in bitterness and anger, 50 years after a sniper’s bullet made her a widow.

Instead, she’s determined to celebrate the legacy of her first husband, Medgar Evers, a civil rights figure often overshadowed by peers such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

Events including a Black-tie gala are being held this week to remember Evers, the first Mississippi field secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He was 37 when he was assassinated on June 12, 1963.

“We are cursed as human beings with this element that’s called hatred, prejudice and racism,” said Evers-Williams, now 80. “But it is my belief that, as it was Medgar’s, that there is something good and decent in each and every one of us, and we have to call on that, and we have to find a way to work together.”

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Two companies accused of discriminating in hiring - The Washington Post

Two companies accused of discriminating in hiring - The Washington Post: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday accused two major companies of indirectly discriminating against African Americans by using criminal background checks to screen out workers.

The commission said BMW effectively fired 70 black employees with criminal histories from a facility in South Carolina, even though many had been there for years. One woman with 14 years under her belt was let go after a misdemeanor conviction surfaced that was more than 20 years old and carried a $137 fine, according to the EEOC’s lawsuit.

The agency also alleged that retailer Dollar General revoked job offers to two black women after conducting criminal background checks. In one case, the EEOC said the records were inaccurate but Dollar General declined to reconsider the woman’s application. The other involved a 6-year-old drug conviction.

“It is a fairness issue,” said David Lopez, the commission’s general counsel. “Litigation is really, truly the last resort.”
The growing use of criminal background checks in hiring decisions has become a flash point in the broader debate over high unemployment rates among African Americans.