Dear President Trump, This morning I read another well-intentioned article about the scourge of slavery in the WP and was following along nodding and sighing when I came upon a reference to how in 1870 the 15th Amendment afforded African Americans the right to vote (byline: Michael Ruane). There was no reality check about how … Continue reading How about also undoing sexism?
equality
Addiction to racism
Dear President Trump, Even though I can’t find explicit reference to it in my notes from the People’s Institute’s Undoing Racism workshop*, I’m 99% certain that at some point during those two days the idea that America is addicted to racism was introduced. I do see in my notes reference to the high degree of … Continue reading Addiction to racism
A long letter about “undoing” rather than “dismantling” racism
Dear President Trump, I was so wrong – we aren’t catching a break at all. Even while on vacation you are quite capable of keeping the horror reels coming. I know your destructive little minions have been working long and hard on both the new rules about the types of social services immigrants will be … Continue reading A long letter about “undoing” rather than “dismantling” racism
This American context
Dear President Trump, How about those lists I sent you yesterday? You might have noticed that the lists of things people of color like about being part of their groups had lots of references to food, language, and culture, both generally and with regards to some specifics. Did you catch that the white people’s list … Continue reading This American context
White people like a whole lot of things about being white
Dear President Trump, On this day when you will be an unwelcome visitor to the grieving cities of Dayton and El Paso I am going to return to reporting out more of what I learned at the People’s Institute’s Undoing Racism workshop last month. For someone like you it will seem like there is little … Continue reading White people like a whole lot of things about being white
Sitting with the fact of racism
Dear President Trump, How was it for you sitting overnight with the idea that all white Americans are racist? Ok, I know, you haven’t read a single word I’ve written you and even if you had, you wouldn’t have stuck with this run of letters for a nanosecond, and even if there was some rent … Continue reading Sitting with the fact of racism
We need to cut the crap and get real about racism
Dear President Trump, Towards the end of the first day of the Undoing Racism workshop last Thursday the group was asked to define racism and after about 15 or 20 minutes of listing lots of different ideas, we were given the People’s Institute’s understanding of racism. Here’s their definition: “Racism = Racial Prejudice + Power” … Continue reading We need to cut the crap and get real about racism
Class analysis (2)
Dear President Trump, You know the next part of the class analysis we did in the People’s Institute Undoing Racism workshop, don’t you? You know it by heart, your shriveled, calcified little heart, don’t you? You didn’t have to attend a workshop, take a class, or read anything at all (heaven forbid), did you? Nope, … Continue reading Class analysis (2)
Class analysis (1)
Dear President Trump, I’m 100% sure that if you actually read these letters you wouldn’t be thrilled to know that this is the first of what I think will be several, if not many, letters about class, power, and race coming out of last week’s Undoing Racism workshop by the People’s Institute. On the first … Continue reading Class analysis (1)
“Welcome home Ilhan!”
Dear President Trump, There is a minute or so clip that circulated on Twitter and in the mainstream media of Ilhan Omar’s recent arrival at the airport in Minneapolis. The images are blurry and the filming is pretty amateur with lots of herky-jerky movements, as though the person filming is being jostled the entire time, … Continue reading “Welcome home Ilhan!”
Daily Trump Letters 