Race Matters in Prince George's Co., MD & the USA

Interfaith solidarity gathering outside of the Holocaust Memorial Museum

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:19:37 GMT

A pledge to work to end hate:

"Books by Martin Luther King Jr. to be republished"

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:39:42 GMT

Books by Martin Luther King Jr. to be republished

Four books that have been long out of print by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. will be published again under a deal with Beacon Press brokered by King's youngest son.

In a statement, Dexter King called the deal "an historic partnership."

"Beacon Press will be a dedicated public outlet for his work and will help bring his urgently needed teachings of nonviolence and human dignity, and his dream of freedom and equality to a new global audience," said Dexter King, chairman of his father's estate.

"Even Now, There’s Risk in ‘Driving While Black’ "

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:09:51 GMT

"The experience of being mistaken for a criminal is almost a rite of passage for African-American men. Security guards shadow us in stores. Troopers pull us over for the crime of “driving while black.” Nighttime pedestrians cower by us on the streets.

"And black men who work as undercover cops are occasionally shot to death by white colleagues, as happened to a young officer named Omar Edwards when he was off duty and in plain clothes last month in New York City.

"We have often been seen as paranoid for attributing these things to bias. But the racial stereotypes that link blackness and crime have recently become a hot topic in social science."
From the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/opinion/15mon4.html

Environmental Justice

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 02:48:18 GMT

The latest newsletter of the Patuxent Riverkeeper features an article about Riverkeeper Fred Tutman and his participation in two public events pertaining to "concerns of people who for reasons of race, class, and/or lack of empowerment in our society suffer daily from environmental pollution". The Patuxent River runs along the eastern side of Prince George's County and flows into the Chesapeake Bay; the Patuxent Riverkeeper is the primary nongovernmental organization working to protect the river. Also mentioned in this newsletter is a conference where "water quality advocates talked openly about the taboo subject of race". Find out more at the Patuxent Riverkeeper's latest newsletter.

See recent local stories about racial issues.

Summer Youth Writing Camps

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 21:01:15 GMT

"The mission of the Our Black Authors Foundation is to encourage and enhance the visibility of African American Authors while developing a strong sustainable commitment to literacy by supporting writers with a positive message. We are a not-for-profit organization dedicated to making a lasting and positive change in the lives of children in the U.S. and throughout the world." Summer Youth Honors Writing Camp 2009 presented by the Our Black Authors Foundation & The Bowie State University Honors Program June 22-26: 9am - 4pm - For young writers in grades 5-9.

Let's end stereotypes & allow peacekeepers to do their work

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:07:46 GMT

It felt so great hearing President Obama in Cairo. Some Muslims said they love him. I tried to find a good report from Google News, but FoxNews was all over it and was full of negativity. Here's something I found that is positive:

President Obama...admitted that the Muslims all over the world were denied certain “rights and opportunities.” He admitted that Muslim-majority countries were treated as “proxies without regard to their own aspirations.” He also underscored the failure of the Muslims in coping with “the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization.”

“This cycle of suspicion and discord must end,” asserted the President. Peace-makers must be empowered. A new beginning must be ushered in between the US and the Muslims. He vowed to fight against the negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appeared. Brave words. The President’s speech unfolded a brave vision. One hopes that Obama will be able to translate his grand vision into reality.

Speaking about the negative stereotypes of Islam, Obama referred to similar stereotypes of America. Unfortunately America has earned these stereotypes by what it has been doing in the last few decades in many countries, just as Islam has earned its stereotypes by its actions. No one can deny what Obama says about the liberal attitudes of America towards diverse cultures, races, religions and languages. “[T]here is a mosque in every state of our union, and over 1200 mosques within our borders,” said the President.

http://www.countercurrents.org/matheikal060609.htm (From New Delhi)

I think there is positive reaction in much of the world. I think this gives us hope.

DC Blogger writes on Blacks in Jail

Thu, 07 May 2009 20:38:03 GMT

DC Race Relations Examiner, Taylor Harris (Go to Taylor's Home Page) writes Jim Crow is here: Blacks in jail, Part 3

She writes about an associate law professor at the Ohio State University, Michelle Alexander's presentation at “The Problem of Punishment” symposium (snippets below):

Alexander’s Thesis: Mass incarceration is a well-disguised system of social control and racial discrimination similar to Jim Crow and slavery.

Law and order is a racially coded term that appealed to disaffected white voters and poor whites competing with blacks for jobs. The term laid the foundation for The War on Drugs. Once felons are released, they can’t vote or be on juries and are relegated to segregated systems reinforced by social stigma. They are confined and denied access to the mainstream economy.

Alexander’s Conclusion: African Americans will remain vulnerable to new racial caste systems if the cleavage between low-income people of different races continues. If Americans are able to end mass incarceration, we must not only abolish this latest racial caste system but also ensure that it’s our last.

See recent local stories about racial issues.

What adopting a white girl taught a black family

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:14:25 GMT

Raising Katie
What adopting a white girl taught a black family about race in the Obama era.

Several pairs of eyes follow the girl as she pedals around the playground in an affluent suburb of Baltimore. But it isn't the redheaded fourth grader who seems to have moms and dads of the jungle gym nervous on this recent Saturday morning. It's the African-American man—six feet tall, bearded and wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt—watching the girl's every move. Approaching from behind, he grabs the back of her bicycle seat as she wobbles to a stop. "Nice riding," he says, as the fair-skinned girl turns to him, beaming. "Thanks, Daddy," she replies. The onlookers are clearly flummoxed.

A unique story. Oh, but those comments!

Special Showing! Senator Obama Goes to Africa

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:04:04 GMT

Special Showing! Senator Obama Goes to Africa
Friday, April 17 7:30pm
Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church
3215 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, Maryland
(1/4 mile west on Adelphi Road from intersection with Cherry Hill Road; directions at www.pbuuc.org)
Sponsored by the PBUUC Diversity/Anti-Racism Transformation Team (DARTT)
www.pbuuc.org/socact/dartt

This documentary follows then-Senator Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, as he travels to the land of his ancestry. From South Africa to Kenya to a Darfur refugee camp in Chad, Obama explores the vast continent that is gaining increasing importance in this age of globalization. The heart of the film is Obama's emotional homecoming to Kisumu, Kenya - his father's former home - where thousands of people turn out to greet him and where he and Michelle take an AIDS test to encourage reluctant Kenyan males to follow their example. In South Africa, we follow Senator Obama on a trip to Robben Island - the infamous prison where Nelson Mandela was jailed for 21 years. At a Darfur refugee camp in Chad, we see, through Obama's eyes, the devastating effects of genocide. Throughout it all, Senator Obama narrates the film, giving his own perspective on the journey and the significance of Africa to U.S. interests. Additional perspective is included through interviews with experts on African affairs as well as with U.S. political commentators.
Film will be shown in Room 1 of the Religious Education Building
For further information, contact DARTT at dartt@pbuuc.org or 202-636-8138.

All invited: A Dialog on Race & Ethnicity

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 04:23:49 GMT

ADORE:

A review of African American Music from slavery to freedom. Come listen to the rich sounds of the African American past and present and share your comments. No charge.

Fri. at 7:30 Potluck at 6:30 at:
Davies Memorial UU Church
7400 Temple Hill Rd.
Camp Springs, MD
Directions

"PG" a racial matter?

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:22:39 GMT

This was on Potomac Confidential at the Washington Post this week:

Annapolis, Md.: Marc, what is this nonsense about using "PG" to refer to Prince George's Co. is disrespectful? Our local paper, the Annapolis Capitol, uses AA for Anne Arundel Co., QA for Queen Anne Co., KI for Kent Island, but always spells out Prince George's. Doesn't the County Commissioner have better things on which to spend is time?

Marc Fisher: It's always mystified me. This is a real phenomenon--as far back as I can remember here at The Post, we've regularly received calls--often angry ones--from readers who live in Prince George's and, for some reason, deeply resent having the name of their county abbreviated in exactly the same way we might abbreviate the District (DC) or Anne Arundel (AA). They claim that it's a racial matter, a sign of purportedly deliberate disrespect. There's nothing wrong with an abbreviation if it's generally understandable, but for many years, this paper and many other media outlets have been cowed into submission by the allegation of racial prejudice. Seems absurd to me...

From my history in this county, I recall that the campaign to stop the press and others from using "PG" and instead to use "Prince George's Co." started in the late '80s and early '90s. It came from both the white & African American communities. They thought it would heighten the respect for this county. Yes, it was perceived that the number of African Americans in this county was causing this disrespect. There was also a perception that whenever violent crimes were committed that the headlines read that they occurred in this county, whereas when they happened in other counties, the city was named. This impression still exists among many. The reputation of the county in the DC area is still far worse than the county is in actuality.

I've noticed that more leaders and especially the younger generation who are getting involved in politics and civic activism are using "PG". They don't think it's disrespectful and it's what they've always called our county.

For news about Prince George's/PG Co. from bloggers click here.

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:05:45 GMT

Webb's Senate floor speech this week on his new bill to create a Commission to study all aspects of prison reform:

Let's start with a premise that I don't think a lot of Americans are aware of. We have 5% of the world's population; we have 25% of the world's known prison population. We have an incarceration rate in the United States, the world's greatest democracy, that is five times as high as the average incarceration rate of the rest of the world. There are only two possibilities here: either we have the most evil people on earth living in the United States; or we are doing something dramatically wrong in terms of how we approach the issue of criminal justice. . . .

The elephant in the bedroom in many discussions on the criminal justice system is the sharp increase in drug incarceration over the past three decades. In 1980, we had 41,000 drug offenders in prison; today we have more than 500,000, an increase of 1,200%. The blue disks represent the numbers in 1980; the red disks represent the numbers in 2007 and a significant percentage of those incarcerated are for possession or nonviolent offenses stemming from drug addiction and those sorts of related behavioral issues. . . .

In many cases these issues involve people’s ability to have proper counsel and other issues, but there are stunning statistics with respect to drugs that we all must come to terms with. African-Americans are about 12% of our population; contrary to a lot of thought and rhetoric, their drug use rate in terms of frequent drug use rate is about the same as all other elements of our society, about 14%. But they end up being 37% of those arrested on drug charges, 59% of those convicted, and 74% of those sentenced to prison by the numbers that have been provided by us. . . .

Another piece of this issue that I hope we will address with this National Criminal Justice Commission is what happens inside our prisons. . . . We also have a situation in this country with respect to prison violence and sexual victimization that is off the charts and we must get our arms around this problem. We also have many people in our prisons who are among what are called the criminally ill, many suffering from hepatitis and HIV who are not getting the sorts of treatment they deserve.

Importantly, what are we going to do about drug policy - the whole area of drug policy in this country?

And how does that affect sentencing procedures and other alternatives that we might look at?

Obama's Autobiography Inspires Writing Contest & Race discussion tonight!

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:00:37 GMT

Seen in Wasington Post:

Caption from the book cover for "Dreams from My Father: A Story of race and Inheritance": More than a decade before he became president, Barack Obama wrote an autobiography.

President Obama (D) is motivating Prince George's County residents to pen their autobiographies. The Book Bridge Project of Prince George's Community College is sponsoring a writing contest, inspired by the 44th president's memoir, "Dreams from My Father." Obama's book was published in 1995 following his election as the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. Participants in the Book Bridge contest must be at least 18. They should submit original autobiographical works that have not been published and are about 6,250 words and in 12-point font by Sunday. The winner will receive $200; the second-place writer will receive $100 and an honorable mention recipient will receive $50. The author's name, address, telephone number and e-mail address must be submitted on a separate sheet of paper.

The winner will be recognized at an awards luncheon April 30. Entries can be mailed to Michele Simms-Burton, Department of English, Prince George's Community College, 301 Largo Rd., Largo, Md. 20774. For information, e-mail simmsml@pgcc.eduor call 301-322-0575.
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Also tonight is the monthly dialog on race and ethnicity (ADORE) - we're talking about Prince George's Co. tonight and expect to have speakers from the county.

See top news on racial issues in Prince George's County, Maryland.

See the latest Prince George's County blogger posts and news here.

African American cooking in Maryland

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:05:26 GMT

Afrofoodways.com builds pride in African American heritage through their contributions to cooking in local areas, using locally grown foods, which is also a very healthy way to cook. They teach history of the 18th & 19th century while teaching you how to cook. More information about upcoming classes at prince_georges.

Tubman quote & Countee Cullen poem

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:05:28 GMT

I just got this in my email today: "If I could have convinced more slaves that they were slaves, I could have freed thousands more." --Harriet Tubman

This is the poem that was read in my church this past Sun.:

Incident

Once riding in old Baltimore,
Heart-filled, head-filled with glee;
I saw a Baltimorean
Keep looking straight at me.

Now I was eight and very small,
And he was no whit bigger,
And so I smiled, but he poked out
His tongue, and called me, "Nigger."

I saw the whole of Balimore
From May until December;
Of all the things that happened there
That's all that I remember.

- Countée Cullen

How relevant are these today? I think it's important for us to note that they are or people would not still be quoting them.

Black History Month should be for dialog between the races

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 04:37:34 GMT

His main point was NOT that we're cowards, but that we need to have dialog between the races and that DOES make us uncomfortable.

You may have missed our dialog this month, but join us next month at ADORE.

See top news on racial issues in Prince George's County, Maryland.

'There Is Such Jubilation in This County' & controversy?

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:46:24 GMT

'There Is Such Jubilation in This County' tells about how special Obama is to this county. I posted a link to the photos from the inauguration party I went to in Creating a Jubilee County. I also shared a wonderful new song on YouTube in my personal blog.

I heard on NPR, besides this Washington Post article, that there is a big controversy by African Americans who Michelle Obama buys her clothes from and gets her hair done by - they want her to support African American businesses. Does anyone have any comments about that? I sure would like to see more people having successful businesses in this county.

WhiteHouse.gov then and now

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:03:51 GMT

Taken on Jan. 20, 2009:

Contrast:

"Far Fewer Consider Racism Big Problem"

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:01:51 GMT

Far Fewer Consider Racism Big Problem

As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take office, far fewer black and white Americans say they view racism as "a big problem" in American society than said so in mid-1996, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

...In the new survey, 44 percent of blacks and 22 percent of whites continue to see racism as a large societal problem. In 1996, 70 percent of blacks and 52 percent of whites held that view.

Conversely, 28 percent of whites and 15 percent of blacks in the new survey said they see racism as a small problem, or no problem at all.

It is good to see this optimism. Though racial discrimination is far from over.

Despite the drop in those seeing racism as a big problem in the country, just as many see bias in their communities as said so in 2003, before Obama burst onto the national scene. Overall, 47 percent of Americans -- including nearly two-thirds of blacks and 43 percent of whites -- said they think blacks in their communities experience racial discrimination.

Meanwhile, more than four in 10 Americans said they have been discriminated against. Nearly three-quarters of blacks said that was the case, as did three in 10 whites.

I do think Obama will help the situation, though:

"What I'm trying to do is say, 'No, let's see if we can apply empathy and recognize that America probably has a narrower spectrum of differences than any other advanced country,' " Obama said. ". . . Let's focus on what we have in common."

Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:14:48 GMT

The Martin Luther King, Jr Celebration Committee of Bowie is happy to share the following information:

The Committee will be holding their 2009 observance, Sunday, January 18, 2009, which will be a one day affair compared to past years when it was celebrated the entire weekend. The Keynote Guest Speaker is Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund. All activities will be held at the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts adjacent to the Bowie High School on Annapolis Road. The day’s activities will include workshops, entertainment by the Bowie State University Choir and others. Please save this date!

Environmental & Racial Justice

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:47:42 GMT

A case of environmental justice as there has been too many industrial, dumps, prisons, etc. in concentrated areas, primarily African American communities, is also a form of racial discrimination that has been rampant. Darryl Harris received an award from the Prince George's Co. Civic Federation for his work to stop the continuation of this problem in a part of the county called "Little Washington" in Upper Marlboro where our dump has been located for about 30 years.

As a result of the closing of Brown Station landfill in ~2010, we will be transporting our trash out of the county (probably out of the state), due to what they call NIMBY (not in my backyard). The county couldn't find a location in the county for a new dump. They will be putting our trash in a transfer station, projected to be in Croom (a rural area of southern Upper Marlboro) where they've also got a NIMBY problem. This will be more expensive, but they are trying to keep the transported trash down, which also keeps the CO2 down from trucking emissions, by increasing the recycling. See more about that on prince_georges. Try this link about recycling and this one about environmental news.

Free events with child care to discuss issues

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:59:46 GMT

ADORE (A Dialogue on Race and Ethnicity) will be held Friday January 9 at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church, 7400 Temple Hill Road, Camp Springs. There is an optional potluck dinner at 6:30; discussion is from 7:30 - 9:30 PM. This month’s topic is the African pilgrimage made by William Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association. The discussion will be led by one of those who accompanied President Sinkford on the journey. For directions: http://www.dmuuc.org/location.html or 301-449-4308. Child care is provided. ADORE is free and open to the public. The church is handicapped-accessible.

DAVIES FORUM: IDEAS, AUTHORS, BOOKS
"The Morals of Immigration: Americans’ Responsibility to Help Their Neighbors"
is the topic for discussion on Saturday January 10 from 6 - 8 PM at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church, 7400 Temple Hill Road, Camp Springs. This particular forum will concentrate on increasing community awareness of local and state efforts from organizations that are creating or are in the process of creating programs that address the immigrant community in humanitarian ways. The forum will feature panelists from Casa de Maryland, DC Jobs with Justice, and Unitarian Universalist Washington Advocacy Office. For directions: http://www.dmuuc.org/location.html or 301-449-4308. Child care is provided. The Forum is free and open to the public. The church is handicapped-accessible.

Family Kwanzaa Celebration

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:46:54 GMT

A Family Kwanzaa Celebration will be held Sunday December 28 at 10:30 AM at Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church, 7400 Temple Hill Road, Camp Springs. Rev. John T. Crestwell, the church’s first African-American minister, will also talk about why we wish for better things and why we are thankful for what we have. The public is invited; there will be a free-will offering, half of which will be donated to Community Support Services in Brandywine. www.dmuuc.org or 301-449-4308

From Prince Georgians on the SPECTACULAR election & continued racial issues

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:18:42 GMT

The "Master Barber" interviews Duane McClure, a therapist and diversity trainer in a segment he calls "Obama and the Archetype - A Hero's fate?".

You also might enjoy his other podcast and this post-election sermon "The Wilderness Experience (going beyond race, part II)".

If you think this is the beginning of the end of racism, think again (After Obama's win, white backlash festers in US) and again (Obama has more threats than other presidents-elect) and again (Hate incidents in U.S. surge).

But you can do something: Join in by calling for the Obama Administration to making Eliminating Racial Discrimination a priority in the first 100 days.

On the optimistic side, many believe that an Obama presidency will improve race relations according to recent polls by Quinnipiac University, CNN, and the Associated Press. Also, to emphasize how awesome Obama's win was, as of the current count (all the votes are STILL not in), he has the second highest percentage ever of popular votes.

See top news on racial issues in Prince George's County, Maryland.

As we wait for the election results...

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:39:06 GMT

A New Kind of Pride
By Eugene Robinson
Tuesday, November 4, 2008; Page A17

Whoever wins this election, I understand what Barack Obama meant when he said his faith in the American people had been "vindicated" by his campaign's success. I understand what Michelle Obama meant, months ago, when she said she was "proud of my country" for the first time in her adult life. Why should they be immune to the astonishment and vertigo that so many other African Americans are experiencing? Why shouldn't they have to pinch themselves to make sure they aren't dreaming, the way that I do? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/03/AR2008110302660.html