Racism is at the heart of almost everything that’s wrong with the United States. Last week I saw two powerful movies: Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, an excellent documentary, and The Last Black Man in San Francisco, the most … Continue reading
I’ve been thinking a lot about reparation. I have not yet come to any conclusions, and will no doubt be pondering and thinking on this more and more. First, reparation is ‘paying back’ descendents of slaves in America. And other … Continue reading
Of all the election victories out there, here’s the one that moved me the most: 19 African American women ran as Democrats for judgeships, most for positions in Harris County, Texas (Houston). 17 of them won. They ran as a … Continue reading
[This review of Nell Irvin Painter’s The History of White People originally appeared in the Cascadia Subduction Zone in 2011. Since I recently posted about her new book, Old in Art School, I wanted to share my praise of her … Continue reading
I’m working on an essay to present at WisCon. As part of my research, I took a deep breath and embarked on a re-read of The Handmaid’s Tale. I have avoided watching the television series, because there’s only so much … Continue reading
In January 2018, I attended a seminar entitled Stand! Speak! Act! A Community Bystander Intervention Training. The subheading suggested I would learn how to nonviolently support someone who was being harassed. The event was presented by the local chapter of … Continue reading
I’ve just finished Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law, a thoroughly researched and brilliant analysis of how government action in the United States built and reinforced racial segregation. It took me several weeks to read this book. That’s not because … Continue reading
My voice teacher in college, Aldrich Adkins, was an African American man about the same age as my father. He served in the Army in World War II. When he was stationed at a base in the south during the … Continue reading
One thing I’ve heard more than once since the killings by the police in Baton Rouge and Minnesota and the sniper killings of police officers in Dallas is that it “feels like 1968.” I’m not sure what aspect of 1968 … Continue reading
I read Gone With the Wind as a teenager in the 1960s. At the time I read it, I was already a strong supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, having been raised to condemn the racism I saw around me … Continue reading
