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Slaughter the Pig
So we wake up this morning to a Web ad from the McCain-Palin campaign accusing Barack Obama of sexism. It is a swift and superb effort and, from what we know about these things and the political climate in which we live, likely to be effective. It is a quick and dirty piece of television…
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Set it Off
There’s a drumbeat out there. If you haven’t heard it because of all the political coverage, get ready. It’s going to become more insistent right through to Feb. 17, 2009. That’s the date the government-mandated, digital-television transition, aka, DTV, kicks in. If your television reception comes via rabbit ears or from a rooftop antenna, you…
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What's So Funny About Africa?
The New York Times ran a story on its front page last Saturday about the king of Swaziland, Mswati III, who leads a life of ostentatious luxury while the people of his small and proud nation struggle with poverty, malnourishment and HIV. The story of a greedy leader bilking his people is a sadly common…
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The Sun Does Not Dance on Africa
The Sundance Institute recently embarked upon a five-year commitment toward “developing” East African theatre, in the hopes of doing what they have achieved with American Indie Film. I was among those invited to participate in the initial East African workshops, held last spring. The program, according to Sundance, seeks to expand the scope of American…
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If Obama Loses…
Here is the nightmare scenario: Nov. 1, 2008, Barack Obama is leading in the national polls by a comfortable margin. Nov. 4, 2008, he loses the election, either by a whisker or by a margin large enough to suggest that it was never really close. All indications are that the loss will be blamed on…
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Food Coloring
Black food is in. And we’re not talking about your grandmother’s fried chicken or Aunt Sadie’s peach cobbler. Instead, it seems that with food, the darker it is, the better it is for you. From forbidden black rice to black tea, black is back…not that it ever really went away. For many cultures, dark-hued foods…
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Kumbaya?
“Are all of your friends white?” That was not the response I’d expected after telling a member of my study abroad program that I’d graduated from a PWI: Predominantly White Institution. She looked at me as though I’d attended school on Mars instead of at my racially-diverse state university, located a mere eight miles away…
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More Physicists, Fewer Fullbacks
Our nation’s future lies in science and technology. Already in high demand, engineers and scientists will be needed even more in years to come. As the White House celebrates the contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities this week, they should be looking at the demand as an opportunity and a challenge. There is a…
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Living Down to Expectations
During his first term, his nicknames in the local media ran the gamut: “Big Diamond,” “thug,” “pimp,” “player,” “Kwame Soprano,” “Swami,” “his thugness,” “ghetto,” “gangsta,” “inept club crawler,” “hustler,” “Puffy Kilpatrick.” Often it was just plain ole Kwame—the reverent title of “Mayor,” “Mr. Mayor” or “Mr. Kilpatrick” chucked aside. Back then, stereotypical characterizations like that…
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A Room of Our Own
Something magical happens in conversation when only we are in the room. A guard is dropped, a look is exchanged. Even though we might be strangers, we laugh because we speak the same language. We pause to judge ourselves and the world on our own terms, from our own context and vantage point, with absolute…