WACANupdate A fortnightly e-magazine, circulation 1,318 News and opinion of interest to the white anti-racist community March 4, 2009 Contact: news@wacan.org Publication schedule Letters to the editor Submission guidelines Privacy Advertising About WACAN   Subscriber drive by Jeff Hitchcock The WACANupdate now goes out to 1,318 people, and feedback tells me it is well received by many. I’d like to share with you some of the vision of the WACANupdate as a project, and ask for your help. The idea is to create a source of media for the white anti-racist community, thereby helping that community create itself. Any emerging community needs its own media. The WACANupdate speaks to that need, as do many blogs. The WACANupdate is an e-zine, delivered to your emailbox on a regular schedule. It serves principally as a news aggregator and interpreter, drawing upon news items spread throughout the Internet. We select, assemble and present material of interest to the white anti-racist community. The WACANupdate is one of several media sources for the white anti-racist community. We welcome the diversity of views and the richness of alternative sources. As part of that mix, we want to reach out as broadly and as widely as we can. We believe we represent our readership. We believe our readers are behind us, and if you are not, you will tell us. We want the WACANupdate to grow. You can help us. A larger readership invites more participation and dialogue. We now have some tools available. Now anyone can subscribe to the WACANupdate, simply be entering their email into our subscription form. We’re holding a subscriber drive over this and the next 3 issues of the WACANupdate, and you can support us without spending a dime. Send a copy of this WACANupdate to a friend. Let them know that the WACANupdate is a good source of information for the white anti-racist community. Invite them to subscribe. We’ll report our circulation in each new issue.   Letters to the Editor Two letters since the last WACANupdate. CLICK HERE Send us a letter White Anti-racist Summit The fifth White Anti-racist Summit will take place on Saturday, April 4, 2009 in Memphis, TN as part of the White Privilege Conference. You can register for both the summit and the entire White Privilege Conference at a special, low-cost rate of $175 if you take advantage of WACAN’s registration process. Limit, 75 registrants. For information, including summit goals, and registration, go to www.wacan.org/summit.asp.   NEWS ITEMS Emerging allies New student group at Colgate University examines white privilege. New blog, It’s About Race, Stupid! A University of Michigan student writes about commemorating “whites who fought for blacks.” General news The elite white media is losing its way in the new era multiracial possibility. They’re pretending race does not matter. Nebraska Supreme Court upholds firing of state trooper for joining KKK. Jurors don’t mind being called “racist rednecks.” But a racial slur in New Jersey may impact a retrial. A racist sign is no joke, says Niagara Falls, New York, court. California court rules illegal immigrant had rights violated in raid. A Canadian school in New Brunswick foists a questionable task on 4th graders in the name of diversity. The task was halted, as negative reaction was building. Americans in Appalachia are living in terror. Close to home, human slavery thrives. Elitist Caucasians run Jacksonville, Florida. Elitist white male in former administration trashes Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. A Pennsylvania school bans Arab headgear. Widow of black basketball star will not permit husband’s name on building with white supremacist. Black people cleaning up white guys’ messy Citi. In Winston-Salem, North Carolina, most city workers are white and/or male. Ad agencies need to reach out beyond their whiteness. Especially when they do ad campaigns like this. U.N. Conference on Racism The U.S. decided to talk with UN conference planners and held firm on reparations and Israel. They could not make themselves heard. But close to home, they are accused of writing off Israel. Some people remain hopeful. But Friday the U.S. said it will not attend the April conference in Geneva known as “Durban II.” The U.N., in the meantime, tells Canada it should stop using the term “visible minority.” Talking about talking about race The Attorney-General challenged the country to talk about race. That ignited a debate. Some wondered what it could all mean. A sympathetic report went into detail on his talk and intentions. It seems, too, other Obama surrogates are introducing a little talk about race in their public appearances. Reaction was mixed. “He failed,” said Melissa Harris-Lacewell. Other opinions of the attorney-general’s talk came from Rinku Sen, Isaiah J. Poole, Leonard Pitts, Carmen Von Kerckhove, Michael Eric Dyson, and Tim Wise. There was also a grumpy response from conservatives. See Gregory D. Lee, Tunku Varadarajan, and Goldberg. And then there was the chimp cartoon The New York Post ran the cartoon and emails began to fly. It was a serious matter. And then another debate arose. “We’re kinda sorry,” says the Post and protestors say “Not good enough.” The story caught some overseas attention. The N.A.A.C.P. wants the editor and cartoonist axed. The overseas folks get bored with the story. The man, Rupert Murdoch, apologizes. Al Sharpton says it’s a start but not enough. Racism Paris, Texas is a troubled town. Washington, DC firefighters claim racism infects department. Hate groups are on the increase. Mesa, Arizona now has two, and Waltham, Massachusetts has one. Children of color in North Carolina lag white children in well-being. White supremacists target North Denver, Colorado, neighborhood. Buffalo, New York, man pleads guilty in cross burning. Academic racists hold a meeting. North Carolina activist replies to critics wanting to keep 75-foot-tall monument to white supremacy. Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo wants immigrants to get white. U.S. immigrant detention policy is in need of a review. Resistance New Jersey ARA group raises questions about local police killing of black man. A white resident of Ithaca, New York, takes time to reflect on what that means. Genesee County, Michigan, Human Relations Commission to do study of race relations. Two men in East Texas serve on the local Race Relations Committee. Town in Ontario considers joining nationwide anti-racism coalition. White Privilege Conference gets some press from Ithaca, New York. N.A.A.C.P. hosts Race Relations Summit in Tennessee. San Francisco labor union holds rally against racism. Syracuse group begins dialogue on slavery and racism (Article 1, Article 2). Zanesville, Ohio, holds series of talks on race relations. Schoolkids embrace cultural differences in Arizona. An Evanston, Illinois, school system tries to move away from tracking. Finally, the law goes after Joe Arpaio – the most abusive sheriff in America. Campus watch The predominantly white editorial board of the Loyola University, Chicago, student newspaper supports a new campus group for students of color. Panel in Wisconsin discusses “What is Anti-racism?” Students of color share their experiences at Boston College. Dr. Beverly Tatum speaks to Harvard students about racial identity issues. Arizona State University seeks nominations for race relations award. A student ponders race and whiteness. Another ponders racialization. International Australia Aborigines remain upset with government. Western Australian government dealing with Aboriginal labor claim. Race relations technicality holds up rugby match between New Zealand and South Africa. Israeli convicted of racism in Jerusalem court. Zimbabwe’s Mugabi continue to seize white-owned farms. Some say he has destroyed the country. White people are having a difficult time. Black prosecutors complain about racism in South African court system. Armenians protest new Turkish film. Hungarian Jewish Congress proposes law against racism. The British police force are no longer institutionally racist says justice secretary. “Yes they are,” say others. Island of Guadeloupe site of rioting as white families are targeted. But it is not whites per se, say protestors, but rather the elite who control the island.       PEOPLE & LIFESTYLE   Access to kids being denied, Winnipeg ‘white pride’ mother claims. White surrogate mother breaks silence on bearing Asian baby. Is light skin still preferable to dark? An in-depth discussion of transracial adoption.     ARTS, FASHION & ENTERTAINMENT   Sheri Shepard gives Barbara Walters a lesson on racism. ‘Racist’ play sparks real stage fight at National Theatre. Recent documentary on poor whites has sympathetic tone. Racist music just a download away on mainstream sites. Book has a new take on race in South Carolina.     OPINION & ANALYSIS   “Discussion: How’s your privilege today?” by uppitybrownwoman. Uppity Brown Woman, February 27, 2009. “No conspiracy theories needed: Abortion foes cry racism,” by Kathryn Joyce. February 25, 2009. “Nobody knows the troubles of a black womanist blogger in the white femisphere,” by Tami. What Tami Said, February 21, 2009. “Yes, that city full of white people is Portland,” by Kimberly Marlowe Hartnett. Crosscut, February 19, 2009. “Why we need color consciousness,” by Allysson McDonald. The Milpitas Post Online, February 18, 2009.     EVENTS How to submit an event CLICK March 13-15, 2009 Kansas City, MO “Building an anti-racism movement among white Unitarian Universalists" Annual conference Unitarian Universalist Allies for Racial Equity CLICK March 24, 2009 Plainfield, NJ “WACAN-NJ meeting" Monthly meeting of white anti-racist group WACAN CLICK March 31, 2009 San Francisco, CA “The Anne Braden Anti-Racist Training Program For White Social Justice Activists" Applications due Catalyst Project CLICK April 1-4, 2009 Memphis, TN “WPC10" Conference White Privilege Conference CLICK April 4, 2009 Memphis, TN “White Anti-racist Summit" Summit event Summit Coordinating Committee