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The Prez in Denmark
When President Barack Obama touches down in Copenhagen, Denmark, tomorrow, he will be entering a hornet’s nest of urgent, competing priorities that will test his negotiating skills like never before. Far from the kumbaya conference that one might expect for a gathering devoted to saving the planet, the two weeks of United Nations-sponsored climate talks…
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Tongue Twisters
Invictus, an uplifting, Clint Eastwood-directed sports movie and Nelson Mandela biopic, seems to contain all the ingredients for commercial and critical success. Of course, box-office stars Morgan Freeman (as Mandela) and Matt Damon (as South African rugby captain Francois Pienaar) will give the film extra juice going into Oscar season. But to some critics, the…
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Why Black Folks Should Celebrate Houston’s Gay Mayor
This weekend Houston made history, electing Anisse Parker the first openly gay mayor of a major American city. The Texan coup was a clear victory for advocates of civil rights and marriage equality, but also stands to erode the consistent—and incorrect—presumption that black Americans are reflexively anti-gay. Parker won the runoff election with nearly 54…
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The CBC Sit-Out: Will it Last?
Fresh off a legislative victory that will provide up to $6 billion dollars in funding targeted toward financial relief in black America, the Congressional Black Caucus kept the pressure on the White House and the rest of the Congress to create jobs for American minorities. “Our community is bleeding,” said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee during…
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The Obama Effect and Black Quarterbacks
The New York Times Magazine has released its annual “Year in Ideas” package—alphabetically analyzing such interesting new developments as man-made greenery and bicycle highways. In the “Os” there is, of course, our current president, Barack Obama. The entry related to him, however, explores a trend that’s become known in social science circles as “stereotype threat”—lower…
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In Peace Prize Speech, Obama Proves a Student of War
Accepting the 109th Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway before an expectant world public, President Barack Obama delivered a thoughtful and nuanced speech about the reasons for war and the limits of peace. The Nobel Committee awarded the honor, previously granted to leaders of populist, nonviolent movements such as Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela and Martin…
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Climate “Reparations”?
As a quick followup to my story today about the squabbling in Copenhagen over climate aid for poor nations who have contributed the least, but are poised to experience the worst side effects of climate change, more news from Denmark about where the US stands: “I actually completely reject the notion of a debt or…
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Copenhagen's Class Divisions
It isn’t often that Russians climb in bed with Rwandans. Yet, as the much-hyped United Nations climate summit convenes in Copenhagen this week, 56 world newspapers united against the growing threat of catastrophic climate change. An editorial urging global action to deflect the worst effects of fossil fuel dependence appeared in major news outlets, including…
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The Woman Behind Michelle Obama
Renegade, Renaissance, Radiance and Rosebud, better known as the Obamas (Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha, respectively), were off on Marine One, which meant Kristen Jarvis could relax, briefly. Moments after the first family were whisked off to their vacation in Martha’s Vineyard, Jarvis, special assistant for scheduling and traveling aide for the first lady, took…
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"Whitopia" and the Subliminal Joy of Target
I’ve taken on the concept of “white flight” on the internet, but the question of how and why individuals segregate themselves in real life is far more interesting to me. When it comes to conurbation, the racial and class-based variables are literally endless. Aaron Renn, aka Urbanophile, writes provocatively at New Geography about the phenomenon…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
