It's time for action. There is so much discussion on the major blogs about diversity and the blogosphere. The question often asked is how can we make the most popular progressive blogs more diversified. One component of the answer is simply to diversify the content. "Diversity Blog Sundays" is a model made for progressive sites to follow. Together, we can link our way to equality.
- Tracy Kronzak over at Race Wire brings up chilling realities about the CA wildfires in "A Tale of Two Disasters":
"I’m not the first or only person who will be drawing parallels between the fires in Southern California and Hurricane Katrina. But what caught my eye this week were several articles in the San Francisco Chronicle that discussed the conditions fire evacuees faced while sheltered at Qualcomm Stadium. The articles made note of free catered food, widescreen TVs, massages, tents, and a strong push by FEMA to ensure the protection and well-being of evacuees – citing "lessons learned" after Katrina evacuees endured horrific conditions at the Louisiana Superdome...
It’s still a bit too early to even say what stories will emerge from SoCal: How are its many Latino residents going to fare in comparison to the white folks mourning the loss of their apartments while getting a massage at Qualcomm?"
- Ann over at Feministing calls out the New York Times in "Hillary Sexism Watch: Management Edition":
From a New York Times article today:
'For much of her career, Mrs. Clinton served in largely advisory or collaborative management roles -- as a law firm partner, as chairwoman of the board at the nonprofit Children’s Defense Fund and as a director of three public corporations.'
Since when are law firm partner, chairman of the board, and director of a corporation "largely advisory or collaborative roles"? Oh, that's right, when they're held by women...
- Queer African-American activist Keith Boykin speaks out on a tremendous Obama stumble with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in his post "Not A Smart Move":
In response to criticism of its upcoming gospel tour with homophobic recording artist Donnie McClurkin, the Barack Obama campaign today added a gay minister to the lineup. After speaking with Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, Obama invited Rev. Andy Sidden, a white South Carolina pastor who is openly gay, to appear on Sunday in Columbia. Sidden, a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, serves as pastor of Garden of Grace United Church of Christ (formerly MCC Columbia)...
I don't know if the Obama campaign realizes this, but inviting a white gay pastor to speak at a black gospel concert is not a smart move. Whoever is advising Obama really needs to reach out to people in the black community and re-think this whole approach.
- Angry Asian Man brings up a case of federal authorities intimidating pro-immigrant U.S. citizen activists who have non-citizen family members in the U.S.:
The family of Tam Tran, a 24-year-old Vietnamese American college graduate who went to Capitol Hill to testify before Congress to urge changes to U.S. immigration law, was taken into custody earlier this month on suspicion of violating an old deportation order...
What's up with that? The timing certainly seems fishy. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, who chairs the House immigration subcommittee, accused federal officials of "witness intimidation" and believes the Trans were targeted because Tam spoke out. But the Agency claims they had no idea Tam had testified before Congress. Coincidence? I doubt it...
- BobbieoAZ over at Native Unity comments on someone that many predicted would win the Nobel Peace Prize in "No Nobel Peace Prize for Shelia":
...Watt-Cloutier was nominated for the Nobel Prize for putting an aboriginal face on the effects of climate change.
As president of ICC Canada, Watt-Cloutier represented Arctic indigenous peoples during the negotiations which resulted in the Stockholm Accord, which banned certain organic pollutants that cause cancer, infertility and brain damage...
That outcome was somewhat of a surprise, because Watt-Cloutier and Gore were nominated jointly by two Norwegian lawmakers. And Agence France Presse reported Oct. 11 that Norwegian TV channel NRK - which has a history of accurately predicting winners - picked Gore, the IPCC and Watt-Cloutier to win.
- Pam's House Blend reports that Judge Leslie Southwick, the Mississippi judge who signed an opinion that said being gay was an acceptable reason to have your children taken away, has been approved by the Democrats in the senate for a lifetime seat on a federal court seat:
"The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Judge Leslie Southwick to the federal appeals court serving Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas despite some Democrats' complaints that decisions he supported were racially insensitive and inappropriate for a region still shadowed by civil rights struggles.
The 59-38 vote on confirmation was sealed after the nomination survived its main obstacle, a test tally moments earlier. Majority Democrats pressured by labor unions and other constituencies did not have the votes to filibuster, or block, Southwick's confirmation.
The Congressional Black Caucus warned that there would be consequences for Democrats at the ballot box. "We regard this as a test," said District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton."
- Latino Pundit makes it short and sweet:
"Liza notes that the combined buying power of US Latinos equals that of Mexico. Where then is the economic burden?"
- Liza from CultureKitchen elaborates:
"Minority groups' share of $10 trillion U.S. consumer market is growing steadily, according to annual buying power study from Terry College's Selig Center for Economic Growth...
'The steep curve of Hispanic buying power is largely the result of immigration and population growth, Humphreys said...
Hispanic buying power has risen from $212 billion in 1990 (the beginning boundary of the Selig Center study) to $862 billion in 2007, representing growth of 307 percent over that time. By comparison, the combined buying power of all non-Hispanics in the United States grew 125 percent during the same period.'
These numbers are incredibly interesting. While Republicans paint latinos as an economic burden to the country, this study clearly states that economic immobility is just not the case among "Hispanics" in this country; especially migrant 'hispanic' workers.
So I have to ask : Are the immigrant haters afraid of the fact that, indeed, these brown people from south of the border are earning their keep at a faster rate than them? Are they reacting to the possible future of working with a paper hat and responding to a boss called Juan Peacutrez?"
That's it for this week folks. Enjoy! I'm off to a special exhibit here in D.C. at the National Museum for Women in the Arts called "WAM! Art And The Feminist Revolution".