WACANupdate A fortnightly e-magazine, circulation 1,331 News and opinion of interest to the white anti-racist community March 18, 2009 Contact: news@wacan.org Send to a friend Visit archives Unsubscribe Publication schedule Letters to the editor Submission guidelines Privacy Advertising About WACAN   White Anti-racist Summit by Jeff Hitchcock Two weeks from today the 10th annual White Privilege Conference (WPC) takes place in Memphis, TN. If you have never attended this conference, I highly recommend it. At no other time and place in the year is it possible to meet so many white anti-racist activists and allies. For the past 5 years, WACAN, in cooperation with other white anti-racist groups, has been holding a White Anti-racist Summit at WPC. Over the years the summit event has grown in size and scope, and now supports an ongoing listserv dialogue throughout the year. This year, our fifth, promises to be a little different. Our summit registration figures have retreated to a point not seen since 2006 at the second summit. Among former groups sending representatives, we know at least one informal member-run organization whose attendance is down because of the economy. A university-based group tells us university funds have disappeared. And we know a formal organization with a budget and staff that had to cutback travel due to budget cuts. It may be, too, that some organizations who do have funds, and who may even attend the conference, have not placed us on their radar. Nevertheless, this year is a year of foundational change for the summit series. We are moving from a very small and loose confederation of interested groups to a broader planning and management structure. The summit, despite our lower registration this year, has a name and reputation as a center of white anti-racist networking and organizing. If your group would like information about joining in the planning of the White Anti-racist Summit, please contact me. And if you can manage to attend, we welcome anyone who has an interest. Please bear in mind that the event is intended to support white anti-racist networking and organizing. The learning is in the work. For information on the summit purpose, goals, and registration, click here.   Letters to the Editor No letters since the last WACANupdate. Send us a letter Subscriber drive moves ahead We added 13 new subscribers since our last issue on March 4. That's about 1 person per day. It's a good start, but at this rate it will take us 2 years to reach 2,000 subscribers. Maybe it's just a fact that the white anti-racist community is this small, but more likely we still have a ways to go to get the word out. Dear subscribers, the WACANupdate needs your help. Please 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. Problem subscribing? Send us email and we'll sign you up directly.   NEWS ITEMS Emerging allies A group named “White People Talking” has held its first workshop at Brown University. General news Anarchist people of color in Washington, DC have issued a statement condemning white supremacy in the anti-war movement, and calling for a demonstration on March 21. American Indians celebrate as Montana removes the term “squaw” from around the state. California bill aims to remove restricted covenants from deeds. New Orleans councilwoman miffed by public records request for emails of white members. An Atlanta area man chides neo-segregationists for failed plan, and a Massachusetts man takes Obama’s critics to task. Most Tennesseans approve of Obama while listening to racist Obama jokes that few admit telling. Bad white people Alleged Aryan Guard guilty of assaulting Japanese visitor in Calgary. White supremacist sentenced for biting 9 year old boy 13 times. The FBI is looking into racist flyers in Salt Lake City. A brazen white supremacist group distributes anti-immigration flyers in Connecticut. The recent report by the Southern Poverty Law Center on hate groups leads to local coverage of groups in Oregon and Georgia. Black former inmate receives award for beating suffered at hands of white supremacist. Local education official in New York loses job over racist emails. Arizona business posts sign mocking Spanish-speaking job applicants. Working against racism Toronto public schools hold anti-Semitism and anti-racism program. March 21 is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Peterborough, Ontario will hold an anti-racism meeting on that day. So will Mississauga, also in Ontario. The Justice Department of Canada plans to hold anti-racism training for over 600 managers. A “Blue Ribbon” race relations commission in Charles County, Maryland makes some recommendations. Brevard County, Florida business leaders gather to discuss race relations. The Loudoun County, Virginia, NAACP holds public discussion of race relations. Canadian authorities order white supremacist group to cease hateful Internet messages. Calgary anti-racism group plans counter-demonstration to neo-Nazis. NAACP sues mortgage lenders, alleging racism. Mississippi state legislator questions “routine” support for awards program run by white supremacist. Studies show Six years worth of statistics show black and white NBA players do not discriminate on the ball court. Minneapolis study documents discrimination in local prime loan market. Positive contact between groups is needed to reduce prejudice, researcher claims. Kenexa Research Institute releases survey of American workers' feelings of equal opportunity. Series of studies shows “whites react more negatively to racial minority individuals who strongly identify with their racial group.” Campus watch A student activist and woman of color receives death threat at Ryerson University, Toronto. Anti-racist students at University of Massachusetts protest talk by conservative writer. Tim Wise makes an appearance at University of Utah. Delta College, Michigan, holds race relations forum. University of North Carolina system receives call for hate crime policy. LGBT events in April at Cal State University at Long Beach to include a day of looking at white privilege. University of Wisconsin grad student dissects racial coding behind “tenant screening” in Madison, Wisconsin. Wesleyan student replies to critics of his stance on white privilege and systemic racism. International The UN conference on racism (Durban II) in April is coming unraveled. Australia, Germany and Switzerland are pondering whether to go. In fact, the entire European Union is thinking about not attending the event. International soccer is taking stronger measures against the perennial problem of racist fan behavior at matches. Mayor in Australia says he did not really intend to spread racist jokes by email. Global recession will create major problems for relations according to New Zealand’s Commissioner of Race Relations. Whites in South Africa need to learn how to pronounce African names. Zimbabwe’s Mugabe taken to task for expelling white farmers. Israeli police lose evidence in probe of racist professor. In the United Kingdom, a sailor complains of being called nickname of “Mugabe.” Italian overreaction to rape accusations is propelled by racism against Romanians.         RESOURCES   Racial Equity Tools is a new website designed for people and groups promoting racial equity. The website includes more than 400 resources and links to help people understand, talk about and act intentionally and effectively to advance racial equity.     HUMOR   Stupid white folks bingo. Integration fail.     ARTS, FASHION & ENTERTAINMENT   Upcoming book, Searching for Whitopia: How the Whiter Half Lives. Jay-Z believes hip-hop cures racism. New Play, If By Chance, looks at whiteness and mixed-race identity. Another play, Inescapable Mutuality, explores post Civil Rights relations between blacks and Jews. The opening performance was well received. Top 10 list of racist comments made by Rush Limbaugh. TNT series, Trust Me, not reflection of real world of advertising insiders say.     PEOPLE & LIFESTYLE   New cookbook celebrates “cracker” cooking. White faces appear among black studies scholars. A Latina student negotiates the world of a private, predominantly white school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. In a Florida school system, white teachers, black students, racism and disrespect, and a new county policy all contribute to a convoluted state of affairs. Blogger Macon D offers perspective to white person facing taunts in predominantly black neighborhood.     HISTORY, HERITAGE & TRANSFORMATION   In Selma, Alabama, people honor achievements of Civil Rights era. When slavery ended, peonage took its place. Colonialism American Style. Anti-miscegenation poem of early 20th century.     OPINION & ANALYSIS   “White men as the problem,” by Joe. Racismreview.com, March 8, 2009. “The top five ways that white feminists continue to discredit women of color,” by Aaminah Hernández. Problem Chylde: Learning & Writing, March 8, 2009. “What is privilege?: Because I can see we’re about to need this,” by peter li’ir key. Livejournal, March 9, 2009. (A response to) “Don’t kid yourself: White people put Obama in the White House,” by Renee Greene. DiversityInc.com, March 10, 2009. “Race drives the war on universal health care,” by Earl Ofari Hutchinson. New American Media, March 12, 2009. “To white feminists,” by Carol Camper. Livejournal, March 12, 2009. “Realizations and confessions of a white man,” by Sean Elias. Racismreview.com, March 15, 2009.     EVENTS How to submit an event 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