Politics
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Talking 'Bout a Master Plan and More With NOLA's Chief of Staff
Judy Reese Morse is chief of staff to New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, working under a new deputy-mayor-based governing structure never used before in this city. In her leadership role, Morse is the highest-ranked African American, and woman, in the city. The Root spoke with her about the challenges her administration has faced in continuing…
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Meek Beats Billionaire Jeff Greene in Florida Senate Race
Rep. Kendrick Meek will be the Democratic candidate for U.S. senator from Florida. The black congressman defeated billionaire Jeff Greene in the Tuesday primary, setting up a tough November battle with Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running as an independent, and Republican Mario Rubio. With 74 percent of the ballots counted, Meek took a…
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When 'Boy' Is Not a Racist Remark
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva’s book Racism Without Racists is an essential read for anyone trying to understand race in 21st-century America. But even Bonilla-Silva’s thesis — that the American liberal embrace of “colorblindness” ignores the attitudes, policies and practices of institutional and unconscious racism that perpetuate racial inequality — could not have prepared us for what we…
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Tea Party D.C. Guide
A member of the Tea Party has put together a guide for those who are traveling to participate in Glenn Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally. Fox News’ Beck is hosting the rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The only thing more…
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The Changing Face of Political Power in New Orleans
The era of black power in New Orleans begins with the rising of a Moon and ends with the setting of a son. Maurice “Moon” Landrieu, who is white, is widely credited as the elected official responsible for not only helping usher in desegregation in Louisiana but also finally opening New Orleans’ city hall to…
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Mitch McConnell Refuses to Clearly State the Truth About President Obama's Religion
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is on that stuff. Either that or he and some of his Republican counterparts have a hard time distinguishing fact from fiction. On an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, McConnell refused to clearly state that President Obama is a Christian. When host David Gregory asked McConnell about last week’s…
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Elite Playlands, Obama Sightings and Serious Discussions
The first black president of the United States and his family hunkered down at one end of a small island, and some of the best and brightest African Americans gathered at the other end: so close, but yet so far away. Maybe it reflects the breadth and range — and the limitations — of what…
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Has President Obama Become a Dispensable Democrat?
It is understandable that leading Democrats and nervous Democratic candidates are hedging on whether President Obama should be an active and visible campaign cohort this fall. At times, it is politically expedient for a party or set of candidates to distance themselves from unpopular figures and issues. A recent high-profile distancing was President George W.…
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Black Republicans Reject Palin's Support for Dr. Laura
A leading black Republican is upset about Sarah Palin’s tweet supporting Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the radio talk show host who couldn’t stop saying the n-word. Timothy Johnson, who as chairman of the Frederick Douglass Foundation works to get African-American Republican officials elected and increase the ranks of black members of the party, says that Sarah…
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Muslims in Lower Manhattan, American Evangelicals in Iraq
Something to consider as the Cordoba House Islamic Center continues to get attacked by cowardly pundits and politicians from both parties is the increasing abundance of American Christian missionaries in Iraq. As U.S. combat forces ready their withdrawal from Iraq, conservative estimates are that between 97,000 and 106,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed in the…