Dear President Trump, This is a variation on my thought experiment exercises…. Let’s say an envoy of aliens from another planet (as in real aliens) plopped down somewhere in the US. On their way here they did some good homework and learned to read and speak several of our languages, including English. They also knew … Continue reading A “Twilight Zone” moment with Rod Rosenstein
Race
How about also undoing sexism?
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?
A long, heavy list
Dear President Trump, How’s your Sunday been? You’re back from vacation starting tomorrow, aren’t you? Lucky us. Not. Ok, on to way more important things. I want to develop the idea of vantage points further and tie it in with the next part of the People’s Institute’s Undoing Racism workshop that I think you need … Continue reading A long, heavy list
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
“Internalized Racial Superiority;” the other IRS
Dear President Trump, Yesterday I mentioned my penchant for getting persnickety about people’s word choices and I need to add here that I’m also fond of picking apart other's arguments. I do this with everyone, but definitely find myself doing it more with people of color and with other white women. Essentially, I’m more critical … Continue reading “Internalized Racial Superiority;” the other IRS
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
God’s boundless love hasn’t exactly reconciled race and clan
Dear President Trump, Yesterday in church the opening hymn was Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You (the real title is The Hymn of Joy). With an opening line of “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You, God of glory, God of love” it’s quite an awkward one to sub out the word “God” with “love” like I’ve been … Continue reading God’s boundless love hasn’t exactly reconciled race and clan
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
Jamestown and historical illiteracy
Dear President Trump, I just checked the weather report for Jamestown, VA and it’s already over 80 degrees there at 9am. The forecast is a high of 93. Since you all will mostly be in a huge white, air conditioned tent, none of you is likely to succumb to the heat, but I reckon there’ll … Continue reading Jamestown and historical illiteracy
