Tag Archives: Cornel West

Why Howard U:  A White Guy Explains (Part Two of Two)

With a year of teaching under my belt, I started thinking about getting my Ph.D. in sociology.  I was teaching a full-time load (five courses) at Baltimore City Community College.  Married a couple of years earlier, I was a new … Continue reading

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Combating Racial Ignorance: A Long and Winding Road

Throughout our nation’s history, people of different races have displayed just how much we don’t know about each other.  And our educational background and social standing don’t necessarily matter all that much.  In 1905, Alvin Borgquist, a Clark University graduate … Continue reading

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“Race Talks” With Our Children:  What Works Best?

Recently, much has been written about how we talk to our children about race and racism.  In discussing this on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Host Michel Martin asks Professor Jennifer Harvey, author of Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in … Continue reading

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Race Conversations: it’s Not a Black Thing

President Obama has been roundly criticized for not doing enough to address the issue of race in our society.  At the beginning of his presidency, there were many who were hopeful that seismic changes in our country’s racial landscape were … Continue reading

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Learning from Ferguson

Since the August 9th killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, by a white police officer by the name of Darren  Wilson, protests in Ferguson, Missouri have become commonplace.  Thousands have participated in these protests, and many have voiced … Continue reading

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Be Mindful of Culture When Conversing About Aging

In Race Matters, author Cornel West argues that we have never had a sustained, national dialogue on the subject of race.  While I believe this is true, I would also argue that we have never really talked about the aging … Continue reading

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Newt’s Comments: Simplifying a Complex Issue: Part Two

In his book, Race Matters, Dr. Cornel West criticizes those such as Newt Gingrich who put the blame for poverty squarely on the shoulders of the individual.  But West, an African-American scholar who teaches at Princeton University, also takes liberals … Continue reading

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Forget qualifications, vote White

“Vote for Perry because he is White.  Let’s not think about his qualifications; rather, let’s just think about our whiteness, and pride, and loyalty.”  Needless to say, this statement comes across as racist and reactionary.  And yet, this is precisely … Continue reading

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