WACANupdate A fortnightly e-magazine, circulation 1,570 News and opinion of interest to the white anti-racist community November 18, 2009 Contact: news@wacan.org Publication schedule Letters to the editor Submission guidelines Privacy Advertising About WACAN   Nominations begin by Jeff Hitchcock Two years ago WACAN established a Hall of Remembrance and Commemoration to celebrate the lives and efforts of white people who stood against racism, racial injustice, and all the many reprehensible acts of dominance and oppression associated with the history of the European conquest of the world. In particular, the Hall focuses on white people in North America. Furthermore, the Hall celebrates the lives and efforts of people of color who have worked in relationship, inspired, guided, led and supported white people who have stood against racism and racial injustice. The past is guide to the present in so many ways. Many white people have resisted racism. But society does not hold them up as models. It is as though their efforts were unimportant and unnecessary. White people today absorb that lesson. Few can name any people besides John Brown who dedicated their lives to the struggle for racial justice and equality. In practice the Hall works something like a “hall of fame,” but given the gravity of the circumstances, we wish to cast a more solemn demeanor over the people we honor. We wish to both remember and commemorate their efforts. This week we begin another season of nominations and voting for a new group of honorees. Nominations will be accepted from now until early February, followed by a 6-week period of voting. Participation is open to all persons registered at www.wacan.org. To view the Hall, click here. To make a nomination, click here.   Letters to the Editor One letter since the last WACANupdate. CLICK HERE Send us a letter   WACAN.org DIALOGUE For registered members of WACAN.org Join Kathy Muhm for an engaging discussion as we enter into the holiday season. How do you relate to your family around Thanksgiving? Do your anti-racist views clash with or complement your family's views? Share and Discuss     NEWS ITEMS Odds and ends ‘Darky’ statue rekindles racial tensions in Louisiana. Pennsylvania swim club to file for bankruptcy. RNC chairman Michael Steel says fellow Republicans fear his blackness. ‘Chocolate Santa’ leaves bad taste in some mouths. Newly formed and dubious “Dignity” party of white men suffers crushing defeat in Minneapolis election. Recent law in California aimed at creating political opportunities for communities of color enriches lawyers who wrote it. North Carolina ‘Racial Justice Act’ now faces questions of implementation (Article 1, Article ). Immigration Anti-racists steal the show at white supremacist “Tea Party Against Amnesty” in Minnesota, where tea partiers are punk’d into supporting removal of white people from U.S. Nativists occupy Arizona state capitol for yet another hate fest. Maine town resists building of housing for Latino farm workers. Some Native American groups violate traditional teachings and operate private migrant prisons for profit. Racism Tennessee trooper suspended after sending white pride email to 100s of state employees by mistake. In Missouri a black woman faces 15 years at trial beginning today over altercation from cutting the checkout line at Wal-Mart. A rally was held in her support. Most U.S. kids sentenced to die in prison are black. The Washington Redskins will be able to keep their racist name as trademark suit by Native Americans fails. One hundred new militia groups have formed since Obama’s election. Seventeen year old white supremacist kills his African American stepfather in California. U.S. Customs sued for death of baby refused medical treatment despite pleas of nurse. Residential segregation fed the subprime housing disaster. Obama’s young, black and poor supporters still suffer as white elites thrive. In West Virginia, racial disparities fall heavily on black residents of Kanawha County. Discrimination Racial profiling at Denver Safeway store alleged. Louisville restaurant employee sues for discrimination after being discharged for refusing to discriminate against African Americans. New leadership at USDA looking into longstanding discrimination case by Native Americans. Owner of NBA Los Angeles Clippers settles $2.725 million housing discrimination suit. Jury decides Charlotte-based Nucor steel company created racially hostile environment. Carpenter awarded $210,000 in Florida schools bias case. Are ‘Bubba’ and ‘you people” racial slurs? Resistance and change Obama makes good on campaign promise to hold yearly summit with American Indians. International Native Youth Movement calls on supporters to send Olympic torch back to Europe (where the Olympic torch thing began as a Nazi ritual). Outgoing Los Angeles police chief stands by policy of fighting crime, not immigrants, and incoming police chief vows to take steps against biased policing. Relentless pressure from progressive groups pushes hatemonger Lou Dobbs out of CNN. Hundreds gather in Montana town for anti-hate rally. “Men of Color” challenge Connecticut child welfare agency. R.E.A.L. protests VDARE speakers in Baltimore. Clergy to lead anti-discrimination march in Kansas City, MO. York, PA, site of race-charged murders in 1969, elects first African American mayor. Campus watch African American professor from Columbia University sucker punches white woman colleague over conversation on white privilege (Article 1, Article 2). Two pundits, neither condoning, but one sympathetic and the other not, discuss the incident. University of Maryland fires diversity officer, setting off massive protest. Campus police chief at University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign addresses hate graffiti. Two University of Mississippi fraternity members suspended by own fraternity for racist rant on video. Drake student organizes conference on white privilege. At Swarthmore, a workshop on white privilege was to be held. LSU alumni recall racism, progress. Neo-Nazi group targets school newspapers to recruit white youth, including a high school in San Francisco and Northern Kentucky University. Halloween brought out more campus blackface stories. Three women soccer players go blackface to party and West Virginia University says it was not racist. Students in Toronto even get an award though criticism sinks in. Another incident takes place at Northwestern, leading to a campus wide forum. Chicago tries to find ways to maintain integrated student body at magnet schools. A Connecticut high school addresses racial tensions. Parents claim black students unfairly disciplined at Georgia high school. Students at Florida high school hear from reformed white supremacist two months after graffiti incident. International Obama’s presence challenges prevailing racism in China. At least some of it they get from us. Foreign teachers of English in Korea are targeted for abuse. White supremacist group operating in Adelaide, Australia. Maori member of parliament in New Zealand disses white people. White people respond in hypocritical fashion. Racism has long been part of Brazilian culture. Affirmative action programs at Brazilian universities stir conflict. The South African business community struggles as blacks move into senior positions that whites are not ready to vacate. The state-owned power utility is one recent and prominent example. In the meantime, white South African police officers claim they are being denied opportunities for advancement. Zimbabwe’s minister of education is a white man — go figure. Ghana’s educational system is too Eurocentric says critic. Man jailed for life after racist stabbing in German court. Primary school children in Britain are being raked over the coals for “racism.” British National Party votes on holding a vote on admitting non-white members to party.         HUMOR Two recent takes on the post-racial world of Obama It’s been a year since Obama ended racism in America. The year of living postracially.     PEOPLE & LIFESTYLE   Can white people hear what Joy Leary-DeGruy has to say? An Asian mother and her daughter cope with racism in the south. Blogger 'resistance' offers two takes on white people:    So now I know.    Unless we’re a danger. White Americans can learn from the white South African experience. Former neo-Nazi speaks against hate.     ARTS, FASHION & ENTERTAINMENT   What the movie Precious means for race relations. Black stars left out of UK Couples Retreat poster.     SPORTS   It’s not just the Redskins’ name that’s racist. Take a look at their history. Sammy Sosa turns white. Sports columnist claims white Stanford running back faces discrimination in Heisman race. Because racism just would not be cricket.     BOOKS   Talking About Race, by Kaolin. Fit for Freedom, Not for Friendship. Quakers examine past relationship with African Americans.     HISTORY, HERITAGE & TRANSFORMATION   The Greensboro Massacre of 1979. Miami’s black Episcopal churches recall segregation. Southern white teams just didn’t play black ones, but one game ended all that.     OPINION & ANALYSIS   “A beige future,” by Ta-Nehisi Coates. TheAtlantic.com, October 30, 2009. “The NSM offers nothing for the white working class but more exploitation and misery,” by Collin Sick. Infoshop News, November 1, 2009. “How does racism hurt white people?” Restructure, November 2, 2009. “White people are uniquely homophobic.” Womanist Musings, November 11, 2009. “How I stopped hating Thanksgiving and learned to be afraid,” by Robert Jensen. pacificfreepress.com, November 14, 2009. “Hate Obama? You may not be racist. But you will be white,” by Michael Tomasky. The Guardian, November 16, 2009.     EVENTS How to submit an event CLICK December 4-5, 2009 Durham, NC "dismantling racism workshop" 2-day Workshop dRworks and The Heirs Project CLICK January 31, 2010 Princeton, NJ "The Princeton Prize in Race Relations - Application deadline" Students grade 9-12 working to improve race relations in each of following regions: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Rochester, San Francisco, St. Louis, Seattle, Washington DC and the states of Connecticut and New Jersey Princeton University CLICK April 7-10, 2010 La Cross, WI "White Privilege Conference" 4-day Conference White Privilege Conference, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs & The Matrix Center for the Advancement of Social Equity and Inclusion