Recently in In The News... Category

Here's the link to the article and blog from CNN: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/28/dems-call-for-overturn-of-arizonas-immigration-law/

Since we mentioned this in class, I thought I should post an update about it. I saw other people have posted about it, but this article is talking about the federal government's response to the law.

Also, check out some of the comments posted on CNN's blog about it. Some of them are pretty unbelievable, but I guess that depends on what party ideology you identify with.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18034102/ns/us_news-life/

 

This is the first time in the Georgia's high school history that they will be haivng a non-segregated prom.  Both the white and black students in the school have had unofficial separated proms.  The four senior students that were in office (two white and two black), discussed this idea with the principal at the begininning of the year to change  this schools legacy.  The theme for this years prom was "breakaway."

"Everybody says that's just how it's always been. It's just the way of this very small town," said James Hall, a 17-year-old black student who is the senior class president.

"But it's time for a change."

This is showing to be more difficult than what the students have planned.  There has been talk around the school that some white students are still going to throw a competing prom.  This is still a big year for the school, this was the first year that their homecoming court wasn't segregated, and they all voted for one, mixed-race, homecoming queen.  The principle has been showing a lot of support for the students in hope that on April 1st, for the first non-segregated prom, will be a success. 

I had just wrote another blog about the resegregation in schools, so I thought this was a good change and puts a positive spin on what some students are doing to integrate the school.  This was sort of their own impact project on their town in hopes to bring everybody together instead of looking at their differences.  If it doesn't work, that might be worse for the students who were trying hard to bring the class together.  This might create more of an in-group/out-group effect between the students.  Some of the students might be labeled more on the base of what "side" they are really on within the school.  But if this works, that would be a great step for the students and the town.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36660242/ns/us_news-washington_post//

 

This article discusses the semi-recent resegregation in two Mississippi schools.  In Tylertown Mississippi, a predominately black town, there has been a majority of white students throughout the years moving to the Salem school district,  a predominately white town.  Where Tylertown is looked at as the "black school" and Salem the "white school."  That idea really hit home here in teh Cedar Valley, where in waterloo, East and West are split into the "white" and "black" schools, with the intention that the "white" school is better than the other. 

In the article, they discuss that there has been some recent legal actions taking place.  They are investigating into the "segregation" for reasons based on race.  They are also looking into whether minority students are being treated differently than the white students in the schools.  They go on discussing how resegregation has been a recurrent trend since the 1980's. 

In this school district, they ahve had separate homecoming courts based on race and proms have been been separated based on race in the past as well. 

After reading the article I couldn't believe that this is still going on.  I have heard of having the better schools and that being based on race, which is still shocking to me, but the idea of having separate homecoming courts and proms within a school surprised me, even though it is in the south. This article both stigmatizes the black people in that town and the white people.  In recent news, the white people in these towns have been labeled the "hillbillies of Mississippi."  There has been a lot of negative press towards the white people in this town and they have all been greatly stigmatized. 

Here's a link to a video about the U.S. Census: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/36101466#36101466

The problem is people are having difficulty filling out the form when they have to choose a "box" or group to identify with. One of the newscasters shares his family's stories. Also, the statistics about Hispanics are interesting too.

What should be done about this issue? How should we address it?

March Madness just finished, but I came across this article regarding racism: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=jn-race040410 

 

Here's a short section from the article:

"Even though the race issue isn't discussed in polite company, it's been the subject of hushed conversations at the Final Four and will be obvious to anyone in attendance or tuning in at home. The subject is so taboo that even Larry Bird bristles when it's brought up."

 

What do people think about this issue? We have talked about it before, but I was interested in the issue being so "charged" that people don't even want to discuss it.

Here's an article that was on MSNBC's page: http://www.thegrio.com/opinion/the-state-of-black-america-unemployed.php

Some of the statistics here are pretty bad. "African-Americans are twice as likely as whites to be unemployed, and in some areas of the country, nearly one in four young black men are out of work." The recession has affected some people more than others. What can be done to alleviate this problem?

This is an article from NBC Sports about comments Torii Hunter made:

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/torii-hunter-black-dominican-players-are-imposters.html.php

Here's one of the main quotes that Torii Hunter said from the article:

"People see dark faces out there, and the perception is that they're African American," Los Angeles Angels center fielder Torii Hunter says. "They're not us. They're impostors.

The racial categorization going on here is pretty clear, especially from the "us" comment. But to call these players "imposters??" Hunter is getting some bad press from these comments, as well. Some of the other comments he made in this article are pretty outrageous too. What are everyone's thoughts on this?

Here's a link to the article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35677130/ns/us_news-race_and_ethnicity/

I thought I'd post this update since we have been talking about this in class. I think the administration's response to these incidents have been good, but I think they need to do more. If you get a chance, read the Chancellor's statement (I think it is in another blog post). She uses a lot of "we" language. It is creating a common group identity as UC San Diego students.

What else should be done to address these problems? What statements would you issue to the public about these events?

Here's a link to a Newsweek article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/233843

It's talking about how many minority students are getting into colleges, but they are not graduating. I thought this article was especially relevant since it directly mentions UNI:

"At less-selective state schools, the numbers get worse. During the same time frame (2007), the University of Northern Iowa graduated 67 percent of its white students, but only 39 percent of its blacks."

What do these numbers say about our university? Many schools seem to be trying to blame the students, but what is really going on here? How do we as a nation try to address this issue?

If anyone is interested. I have been in a couple of different meetings, working behind the scenes, talking with different community leaders, radio and news.

We will be starting a radio program call the "Word on the Street" which will be conversations for campus and community efforts to bring open dialogues, and discussion about issues on discrimination, stereotyping, and  racism.

The Program will be starting this Friday, and will be held on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the week from 2:00-3:00pm at KBBG radio

 

Open:  To all students and Staff from UNI and HCC.

Guests:  We are looking for persons/agencies/city and county officials

Focus of the Show: Addressing and discussing topic and issues of interest at the university, and community college. Addressing and discussing topics and issues of interest at the University, and in the Community, in a dialogue format, using the study circle style, Topics will be determined by the participants/organizers and with input from the student and listeners.

 

First program:

Dialogue about why we are doing the show, issues that brought it about, the need to work collaboratively between the colleges and the community, the discussion of diversity, race, ethnicity and why these are important topics to talk about.  Opening the program up to listeners to talk about what they would like to hear discussed.

Contact:  Alex Esquivel at esquivea@uni.edu

 

Here's a link to an article on MSNBC:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35357949/ns/us_news/

Here's a small news story about a train line that went to an Asian neighborhood, and it was the yellow line. Members of the Asian community have been complaining since November, and now, it is going to be called the gold line. What do people think about this? Was the decision to name this line yellow racially insensitive? In this particular case, change did happen when people spoke out about it. Has anyone else heard of stories similar to this?

Here is a good link from Newsweek: http://photo.newsweek.com/2010/2/memorable-quotes-from-iconic-African-Americans.html

The site has photographs and memorable quotes from iconic African-Americans. Also, here is another link from Newsweek: http://photo.newsweek.com/2010/2/iconic-moments-in-black-history.html This site also has photographs and shows memorable moments in black history, such as Brown vs. the Board of Education.

I like what the writer states at the beginning: "If Black History Month is going to remain culturally relevant, then we must use it as a time to reflect, not only on where we're going but on where we came from."

What other moments or people could be included on this site that weren't?

Title IX

A discussion about Title IX, a nearly forty year old law that opened the door for women in high school and college sports. We speak with Donna Lopiano, the former C.E.O. of the Women's Sports Foundation and a pioneer and champion of Title IX. Then, a conversation with Calli Sanders, Senior Associate Athletics Director at Iowa State University, and Craig Ihnen, Associate Director of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union about the status of Title IX in Iowa.