Racism
Thanksgiving, Veil Over Indigenous Truth Telling
More than 60,000 refugees relocate to the United States every year, fleeing ethnic, religious, gender, and political oppression and persecution. Organizations throughout the country welcome them, providing shelter, clothing, food, and employment opportunities to aid them in building new, safer and happier lives. While we welcome these new Americans, we continue to perpetrate the same [...]
A Chinese Discussion on Race
Ever since I downloaded AIM on this computer I have been irritated that the AOL homepage pops up whenever I log in. Not so much this morning! I was pleasantly intrigued by a story about a mixed chick from China. Her mother is Chinese and her father is African American, who left China long before [...]
In the Lexicon of Hate
This post is long overdue. I started writing weeks ago but got distracted by work. I get distracted easily – sometimes to my own peril! Case in point – I was on the bus several days ago (weeks at this point) trying to finish my much overdo Citizenship Day post. Everything was hunky dory. One [...]
CIR Won't Cure Bigotry and Hate
I am getting to this rather late, but better late than never, right? Thursday was National Constitution and Citizenship Day, a day that commemorates the formation and signing of the Constitution of the United States on September 17, 1787, as well as recognizes all who, by birth or by naturalization, have become US Citizens. Unity [...]
Act Now!! Justice for Julio Maldonado and Denis Calderon
Julio Maldanado and Denis Calderon were victims of a vicious racially-motivated hate crime in 1996. They ended up sending 13 years in prison for defending themselves. And now they are on the verge of being deported. Seth Williams, then a prosecutor with the City of Philadelphia, tried the case which ultimately landed Julio and Denis [...]
Embracing Diversity or Eroticizing Women of Color
I don’t quite understand the world’s fascination with beauty pageants – parading human beings around like property. Nevertheless, I stumbled upon the intro to Miss Universe 2009 on Sunday night. After a glance of Zeynep Sever, Miss Belgium and was curious to see who was representing the various other European nations present. Zeynep is originally [...]
You have No Clue!
CAUTION: This post contains graphic photos. I have been following the health care debate, if you want to call it that, and find myself increasingly disturbed and disgusted by the lack of decorum and common sense. While I was quite amused by the ways in which the manipulative and disingenuous ways of the political and [...]
Swirl's Mission – Front and Center
As many of you know, Alexis Jeffcott and I recently launched the Philadelphia Chapter of Swirl. We host a monthly Pot Luck, a time for swirlies and allies to get to know each other in a relaxed atmosphere. Several exciting events are in the works as well. We are hosting a fieldtrip to the “America [...]
Unusual Silence
I usually call it like I see it. If I think something is incorrect, I say so. If I think someone is acting like a bigot, I let them know. Very rarely do I remain silent when I think something is off. Yet, this is exactly what I did this past holiday. My reasoning is [...]
Philly Joins Swirl to Launch Intercultural Community and Dialogue
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Kathrin P. Ivanovic Co-Organizer, SwirlPhilly 215.776.1172 kathrini@swirlinc.org Jen Chau Executive Director, Swirl Inc. 917.291.5227 jenchau@swirlinc.org www.swirlinc.org Swirl, Inc. Launches Chapter in the City of Brotherly Love Swirl, Inc. has partnered with Kathrin P. Ivanovic and Alexis Jeffcoat, two emerging young non-profitleaders in Philadelphia, to launch and grow of a new, local chapter. [...]
Top Down Problems With Top Down Solutions – Do We Ever Learn?
I am not an economist. I don’t even claim to be particularly good at crunching numbers. In fact, statistics was the only subject where I consistently earned abysmal grades. Nevertheless, I am astute enough to recognize that throwing money at poverty, particularly in a top down scheme, does not solve this problem. Remember Reagan-era TRICKLE [...]
Advertisers Run Amuck!
Have you seen the new Obama Victory Plate commercial? Particularly amusing is the image of the white family sitting in the living room. The husband exclaims “We never thought this day would come,” to which the wife retorts, “and now we own a piece of history.” As if this isn’t ridiculous enough , following them [...]
Independent Sector – Closing Plenary Luncheon – "A New Look at Race and Gender in Americ"
Round-table Discussion: Beyond Election 2008: A New Look at Race and Gender in America Moderator: Kalvin Taketa, IS Board Member and President/CEO, Hawai’i Community Foundation Panelists: Randall L. Kennedy, Michael R. Klein Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, Harvard University Sterling Speirn, President, W.K. Kellogg Foundation Luz Vega-Marquis, Secretary, Independent Sector and President/CEO Marguerite Casey [...]
Black German- Belonging and Who I Am
Out of the 95,000 US Occupation babies born in Germany in the 1950s-60s there were approximately 3000 of us, so-called Negro mulatto babies, better known as Germany’s ‘Brown Babies’. The SPD [Social Democratic Party of Germany] deemed that we formed a special group, presenting a human and racial problem of a special nature that gave [...]
PBS "Germans in America" – The Desirable German Narrative
PBS aired a re-run of the entire Germans in America series the other night. I was able to see the entire series for the first time, instead of taking it in piecemeal. This four-part series examines German settlers who came to America in the early 18th Century, particularly how they adjusted to life in America, [...]
CAIR Philly Event @ Villanova – Don't 'Iraq' Iran: Finding a Peaceful Resolution to the Iran Crisis
If anyone in Philadelphia is interested in attending, but does not have transportation, please let me know. I am driving and can have room for three more people in my car. Thursday, October 23 from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. in Room 1011, Bartley Hall on the Villanova campus Crossposted from CAIR Email/Complete Event Listing on [...]
Update: New Miss Switzerland Gets Racist Attacks
As I previously reported, there was much controversy around Whitney Toyloy winning the Miss Switzerland pageant. Several critics questioned her preparedness for the role and responsibilities under the crown due to her age. Others questioned whether a bi-racial woman could actually represent Switzerland, that she did not reflect what it meant to be Swiss. Several [...]
Islam as the Subject or the Object
For some reason Islam has been on the tip of my tongue lately. I keep engaging in extremely thought provoking and stimulating conversations about the various trends and schools of thought circulating within the Muslim world. Many of them are in direct response to the mis-interpretation of Islamic sacred texts by various agents within the [...]
The Private Club a.k.a. Black America
For eight years I have knocked on Black America’s door in hopes that someone would let me in. Instead, I keep getting a “thanks but no thanks” card in the mail. I have forged several meaningful friendships with women of color si nce I moved to America. However, I am disappointed with my interactions with [...]
