by Jeff Hitchcock

The fall election season is upon us and summer is a fading memory, but one final story invites comment. In August, the U.S. Census Bureau projected that by the year 2050 white Americans will become a minority and no other racial group will achieve a majority.

It seems the Census Bureau releases a report like this every few years, to the point where many people now take it as a given, as though all we have to do is wait and the cumulative effects of population change will overturn whiteness. Not everyone agrees.

Throughout the history of the United States, the racial category of "white" has slowly expanded. Whenever white people became lesser in number, new categories of people were admitted to whiteness. White people, initially considered to be English and closely related nationalities, have grown to include people from virtually all of Europe. Two hundred years of history suggest the definition will continue to expand in a historical business-as-usual way. By the year 2050, we may well have a white majority, given the prevailing definition of whiteness in that future time.

The struggle for racial justice and the achievement of a multiracial society based in justice will not be delivered simply on the wings of changing demographics. People working for a racially just society still have a lot of work to do.

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John McCain is seeing the white working class move away from him (Article 1, Article 2). Some hardcore supporters remain. The candidates attack one another. Black congressmen point to Palin's attacks on Obama as racist. Even the Wall Street Journal sees the point. And Scarface lays it out. In the last debate, McCain acts the cultural klutz. He wasn't really race-baiting, a white news anchor says. Some people take it with a sense of humor. But the grassroots respond his way in Florida, Florida again, and Pennsylvania. How will it end, the pollsters wonder.

The Denver Columbus Day parade (the site of the first Columbus Day celebration) was a bust this year. After last year's mass arrests, and then the recent Democratic convention, AIM needed to give their attorneys a break (Article 1, Article 2). Still, it was only a pause in a longer, wider struggle.

The report is in on the Second Annual National Day of Panhandling for Reparations. See photos and blog. This year's Seattle Race Conference also featured reparations as a theme.

Seattle police profile, says NAACP. Anti-Arab racism plagues southwest Chicago suburbs. A Muslim city council candidate in California gets death threat. The Feds break a record in California immigration arrests. On the east coast, a Connecticut judge rules hearings are needed regarding similar arrests. A Tennessee judge ponders a response to a loose racial remark. Hawaii tourism exec still in hot water over racist and sexist jokes. Race relations expert criticizes Montreal police for wearing military style camouflage pants. In Quebec, riot police confront Algonquin protestors.

A Youth Summit on Race was announced for last weekend in Detroit (Article 1, Article 2, Article 3). President Bush signs into law a bill creating a cold case unit to investigate civil rights related murders (Article 1, Article 2).

A Massachusetts teen improvises Nazi imagery in public, and later attempts suicide. A California teen held for murdering gay classmate is found with white supremacist materials. Mother of white supremacist singing duo admits casual theft. White supremacist gets life without parole.

Racist attacks in Italy continue. But Italians begin to organize anti-racist resistance in Rome and near Naples. A Romanian actress in Rome is asked to help out with Romanians and Roma, both targets of prejudice and often confused for one another. The Malaysian government supports diversity. But several wonder if the recent Race Relations Act was really necessary (Article 1, Article 2, Article 3). Abuse over party flags seen as racist in New Zealand. An Australian Aboriginal activist tries to get racist geographical names change, and some do not like it. In South Africa, it is a crime to make false claims of racism. A spat between two high profile South Africans has racial overtones. Namibian whites need to be more involved in politics. A black man in Botswana finds himself under doctor's orders to take up a white cultural pastime - jogging. In London, the police are accused of institutional racism. One high ranking officer of color disagrees. A racist with a cache of arms is found to be a member of the police.

The Art of Defending Racism

White male sociologist studying race finds many contradictions.

Her boyfriend may be a white supremacist.

A "brown" woman on a white campus reflects.

Immigrants believe "Canadian" means white.

Only white people would do this: Scientists develop computer program to detect 'beauty' (Article 1, Article 2)

I could swear there's a racial theme in the new movie Blindness, but these critics can't see it (Article 1, Article 2).

"My people, white people." A poem.

Comedian strikes out on racialized critique of Sarah Palin.

"An open letter to white voters, or what McCain really thinks of you," by Carmen Van Kerckhove. Racialicious, October 10, 2008.

"How race can help Obama, and why an Obama win wouldn't be a victory over racial prejudice," by Christopher Beam. Slate, October 10, 2008.

"'Wimp' fires back over McCain, Palin spat with Limbaugh," by Mary Mitchell. Sun Times, October 10, 2008.

"Partisanship and the party of white," by Alan Bean. Friends of Justice, October 9, 2008.

"I proudly blame the white man," by apoc. illvox.org, October 7, 2008.

"Racism without racists," by Nicholas D. Kristof. The New York Times, October 5, 2008.

"Lies my colonizer told me," by Nehi Katawasisiw. illvox.org, September 28, 2008.