SWOPblogger

Fernando C de Baca. I want to take a moment and “thank” the man for sending us back a few decades in our work towards racial justice.

What he has started here is an extremely detrimental downward spiral not just for himself, but for the rest of us who identify as a person of color, not just Chicanos, Hispanics, Latinos, and African Americans.

To prove this, on Friday the New Mexico Independent published an article with the following headline: “Racial tension between Hispanics and blacks is real,” next to the picture above of Chicanos in protest during the 1960's. (Since then they have removed the picture.)

One word: Irresponsible.

It is implying that the Chicano movement in the 60’s is to blame for the racial tensions between Blacks and Hispanics. It may not be an overt association, but it really tugs at the internalized racism many of us struggle with. It’s really disturbing to me as a Chicana/Mexicana to see the blame be put on a movement that has worked and continues to work toward solidarity amongst all people. (More on my identity later.)

C de Baca’s comments and those of this article clearly show that they have bought into the racial structure made up in this country. People of color are and have been structurally discriminated against. We live in a white supremacist, capitalist patriarchy. Our structure is designed to only benefit a few and they are usually not a person of color, they are White, Anglo, or European American. That is no accident, it is how it has been designed.

In order for those who hold power in this country to continue to hold power, they must divide and conquer the rest of us, so that we distract ourselves by fighting against each other. Meanwhile those that run this country continue to do so at their benefit, not ours.

C de Baca messed up, and he messed up bad. I’m glad he resigned, but unfortunately he never admitted to his irresponsible comments. In his 'justification piece' in the Journal he blames his comments on someone else, his grandfather. Worse yet, he also blamed African Americans, “the ones that beat him up,” for the discrimination he had experienced. He just doesn’t get it.

I don’t know how long the legs of this story will continue to grow, but if more stories like these get published it will only perpetuate white supremacy and racial divides. We must work responsibly to eradicate all forms of racism as our leaders in the 60’s worked very hard to do. I’ll be the first to say it, we have a long way to go, but we’ve also come a long way, stop pushing us back.

On a side note: I identify as both Chicana and Mexicana because I recognize that I am of
Mestizo descent, which includes Spanish and French as well as Indigenous ancestry. My entire family is from Mexico and half of my siblings are the first generation in our family to be born in this country. Identifying as a Chicana embraces all of that but also resists against glorifying the Hispanic and Spanish terms while uplifting the Indigenous ancestry. For me, being a “conquistador” is not a good thing.

Check out m-pyre for more.

Labels: Chicano, Fernando C de Baca, Racial Justice, Racism

Lou!

Condi!

Let’s get ready to RUMBLE!!!

In my sparse free moments I have been re-reading a book – celebrated historian Eric Foner's "Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men: The Ideology of the Republican Party Before the Civil War." If you want to get an idea of how electoral politics took shape in the US, or of our own history of multi-party political engagement, check it out.*

A key piece of the foundation of Foner's brilliant study is his examination of the "Free Labor" ideology that became a centerpiece of Republican political thought, of which Lincoln became the most prolific spokesperson. He helps us understand key aspects of why we think the way we do today, regardless of ideological bent or political persuasion. And he takes time and care to point out that both Africans and women, as well as Native Americans, Mexicans and Chinese, were considered "other," and outside the bounds of the public discourse through which the Free Labor ideology developed. In other words, Free Labor – a cornerstone of so much of what are considered American ideals, with their right as well as their left variants – was a construct reserved for white men.

Given the state of collective memory in US society, it is not surprising that the reference points of the Civil War are reduced in most peoples' minds to monuments that kids climb on in small towns east of the Mississippi, or for an older generation to Stephen Crane's "The Red Badge of Courage," or for a younger generation to the recent serving from Hollywood, "Cold Mountain."

Lost is the reality that when push has come to shove this society has consistently resolved serious social, economic and political contradictions through violence, as exemplified by the enforcement of slavery and then the Civil War 1861-65, itself. During the Civil War 1865-present it has continued in both systematic and implicitly endorsed and encouraged forms, during Reconstruction and "Redemption," during the Civil Rights years, and today in the prison system and in poor communities of color throughout the land.

Now comes Condi Rice, of all people, whose troubled mind at least in limited fashion recalls this history and present day realities.

A couple of weeks ago Barack Obama did the unthinkable and actually gave a serious statement on racism in the midst of the national presidential campaign with, literally, the whole world watching. His words opened up a space that has been unavoidable for even our illustrious Secretary of State – a pedigreed former member of the Boards of the Carnegie, Charles Schwab, Chevron, Hewlett Packard, Rand and Transamerica Corporations, all bastions of white supremacy in our society.

While walking down the street in Washington, DC last Friday, I shot a glance at a vending box of the Washington Times – the same right wing paper founded in 1982 by Sun Myung Moon – and noticed the headline: "Rice hits U.S. 'birth defect'," with a subheading mentioning "race." I walked a little further down the street, something snapped, and I did a beeline back to the box. The message was on just about every street corner in DC.

According to Rice, "Africans and Europeans came here and founded this country together – Europeans by choice and Africans in chains. That's not a very pretty reality of our founding."

She added in her discussion with Times editors "That particular birth defect makes it hard for us to confront it, hard for us to talk about it, and hard for us to realize that it has continuing relevance for who we are today."

All this just drove home once again just how pregnant this society is to actually discuss ethnicity and racism, something that has become increasingly obvious in the two weeks since Obama's March 18 address.

Hard charging on the "guilt by association" tip, the Times and so many other media outlets keep using statements taken out of context by a former pastor at Obama's church to attack not only the candidate but, in Monday's edition of the paper, even the mainline protestant United Church of Christ – which arose out of the Pilgrim and "founding father," and later abolitionist, Congregational Church.

The Times editors, however, must divert their precious resources to give Condi play. After all, isn't she Secretary of State and the very example of token ethnic diversity considered essential to the Bush-Cheney team? Putting myself in their shoes for a moment, the Times editors must be left wondering just what the hell the Bush team was thinking regarding strategy on this one.

While many welcome the growing public discourse on race, many do not, particularly a lot of whites in this country who are utterly flipped out about it. Lou Dobbs is a case in point, and he unfortunately speaks the minds of a significant number of people.

“Not a single one of these cotton… these… just ridiculous politicians should be the moderator on the issue of race!” (Check out the video.)

He caught himself before he added the word "picking," but it seemed pretty clear that Obama and Rice are the "cotton pickers" he had in mind.

In the end, even the right in the US is going at it about racism.

I suppose that I am to think that we have come a long way since the period that Foner writes about. After all Dobbs, like Bush and Cheney, at least acknowledges the ethnic diversity of the US.

Yeah right. Dobbs reflects the same attitudes of a lot of liberals and corporate executives, that we live in a society that has changed its discourse in line with a more sophisticated practice of institutional racism. Some have gotten some help from an occasional racism training as well, in vogue over the past twenty years or so. It should be recalled that even the most radical labor leaders in the mid-19th Century, as well as most white abolitionists, for that matter, left both Africans and women, as well as the Native Americans, Mexicans and Chinese of the day, out of their equation of justice. This was in spite of the admirable and progressive moral convictions that they expressed and acted on.

I think the Rev. Al Sharpton got it right Monday night on the Tavis Smiley Program, paraphrased here: "Whites have to learn to go beyond saying they like this or that black (or brown, or red or yellow) person, or that they will even vote for this or that black person. Whites must begin to put their bodies on the line in the struggle against racism."

Ha! At the risk of being attacked on the "guilt by association" tip (to who, you ask - Sharpton? Smiley?? Obama?!?!), I hope that the debate continues. I hope that we can all speak the words “white supremacy” and discuss what this means. And I hope that a growing number of us white folks commit to putting our bodies on the line.


* Foner, Eric. Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men: The Ideology of the Republican Party Before the Civil War. 1995. Oxford University Press, Oxford - New York.

Labels: Civil Rights, Condoleeza Rice, Eric Foner, Racism, Reconstruction, White Supremacy

Here is a great comic strip. With all the guns in school, racial profiling posts and most recent post from T-Shirt Hell it's made me think of how we can use humor to get our point across with a very serious subject.

What's difficult is that in order to be funny you have to use stereotypes that are obviously racist to begin with anyway, and one population will always be the butt of a joke. So where do we draw the line?

I don't know. But what I do know is that some things are funny (when we agree) and we need to remain sensitive (as much as possible) so as not to offend a particular person. But with that, some things are pretty funny, (Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle) especially if we're poking at systematic issues were always fighting, like racial profiling in our so called "public safety" structure.

Which is why I thought this comic was great. The K Chronicles are hilarious. It's political sattire at it's best. Somehow when we say political sattire it makes it a little better. Anyway, have some fun and check out the K Chronicles.

Labels: K Chronicles, political satire, racial profiling, Racism

What do you know, another marketing scheme to divide an conquer people of color and women.

Another way to further a white supremest patriarchy. Is the chuckle worth it?

I don't care much for Hilary's politics, but it made me sympathize for her and for all of us women. This brings up so many issues that I can't even begin to breakdown in this post. Sounds like that's a Weekly News Rant in the making. So I'll just ask that others chime in and really let us know how far this T-shirt company has gone. (who by the way makes a killing off of offensive t-shirts, e.g. slavery get's work done) when does it end?

Looks like a Republican is behind this one. Check out this commentary from feministing.com
It's all very interesting. One thing to note, referring to women as ho's is HIGHLY Offensive.

Labels: 2008 Elections, Barack Obama, Democracts, Hilary Clinton, Offensive T-shirt, Racism

There is so much information out there. So I tried to pick out a few. It's just awful what has happened, and no commentary I could ever write would do it justice.

Please take action and send a letter using the link below. Also keep up to date on what is happening. The trial is happening right now.

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Jena, Louisiana: Nooses and White Supremacy (intro only)

By Alice Woodward

On a late summer day in 2006, in Jena, Louisiana, a Black high school student asked permission to sit beneath the “white tree” in front of the town’s high school. It was unspoken law that this shady area was for whites only during school breaks. But a student asked, and the vice principal said nothing was stopping them. So Black students sat underneath the tree, challenging the established authority of segregation and racism. The next day, hanging from the tree, were three ropes, in school colors, each tied to make a noose.

The events set in motion by those nooses led to a schoolyard fight. And that fight led to the conviction, on June 28, 2007, of a Black student at Jena High School for charges that can bring up to 22 years in prison. Mychal Bell, a 16-year-old sophomore football star at the time he was arrested, was convicted by an all-white jury, without a single witness being called on his behalf. And five more Black students in Jena still face serious charges stemming from the fight.

Read the story and transcripts below.

Democracy Now transcripts.

Democracy Now interview with the boys parents.

TAKE ACTION HERE

Labels: Jena, Jena 6, Racism, White Supremacy

PHRF Condemns Recovery Czar Edward Blakely and Mayor Nagin; Demands Blakely be fired immediately.

The People's Hurricane Relief Fund (PHRF) demands that Mayor Ray Nagin and the City Council fire Edward Blakely for his demeaning statements and plans denying the basic rights and dignity of the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. "Blakely's statements in the New York Times yesterday, were totally inexcusable", say's Kali Akuno, PHRF Executive Director. "It is clear that he was brought here merely to finish the ethnic cleansing of New Orleans by making no provision in his plans for the Black working class majority that was and is the heart of New Orleans".

PHRF strongly condemns Blakely's gentrification and displacement schemes for the redevelopment of New Orleans that only favor the developers and corporate profiteers. We further condemn Mayor Ray Nagin and the City Council for tolerating and approving his schemes. The privatization of the very office and position of Edward Blakely must also be condemned. Mayor Nagin should not have followed the footsteps of Governor Blanco and set up a private entity to manage and contract out public funds. These extralegal institutions and initiatives are wholly undemocratic and nepotistic.

Moreover Blakely slanders those of us who advocate the right to return for all those who want to return. Blakely claims we are "using people" for political ends. To the contrary it is the capitalist developers that Blakely represents who are using the people, by refusing to provide affordable housing; by refusing to open up the public housing projects and by refusing to grant any direct aid to the more than 50% of the New Orleans population that were renters. These actions are in place to facilitate a grand land theft from Black working class homeowners and to change New Orleans into a white majority city.

The Right of Return is a fundamental human right enshrined in several international treaties that the United States Government is a party to. The United States Agency of International Development (USAID) articulates the clearest statement and support of this human right by the Federal Government in its "Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons Policy". Produced in October 2004 the report states, "USAID's interest in internal displacement is driven by humanitarian and development concerns as well as political and security considerations" (Summary, Page V). Further it states, "USAID advocates that IDP's should be granted the full security and protection provided for under applicable norms of international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and national law" (Summary Page VI). This policy statement can be located online at www.usaid.gov (search Internally Displaced Persons Policy).

Edward Blakely, Mayor Ray Nagin, the New Orleans City Council, and all the branches of Government interfacing with Katrina and Rita related IDP's must be held accountable to the standards outlined in the Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons Policy and the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. To hold the US government accountable to these and many other human rights laws and policies, PHRF and a broad range of Gulf Coast community, civil, and human rights organizations will conduct an International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita August 29th – September 2nd, 2007.

In the interests of accountability and restorative justice, we demand that Blakely be fired immediately for his blatant disregard for the human rights of the displaced.

People's Hurricane Relief Fund
###

To read Ed Blakely's comments see:
New York Times
April 10, 2007
Steering New Orleans's Recovery With a Clinical Eye
By ADAM NOSSITER

Labels: Development, Gulf Coast, Katrina, New Orleans, Racism, Survivors

[karlos says:] see my new blog for Youth Media Council - "Echolandia" - disrupting dominant debate in corporate media...

There's no doubt the media should take a lot of the blame for the kkk's reported comback. They fell for the minute men's rhetoric and gave them a platform to spread hate. Lou Dobbs gets a special nod for spreading anti-immigrant propagnda on a daily basis. And Fox news is, well, Fox news.

Klan growing, fed by anti-immigrant feelings, report says

Associated Press
January 6, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Ku Klux Klan has rebounded by exploiting current
hot-button issues, especially immigration, according to a new report
released by the Anti-Defamation League.

The Klan, and other white supremacist groups like skinheads and neo-Nazis,
grew significantly more active in the past year, holding more rallies,
distributing leaflets and increasing their presence on the Internet -- much
of it focused on stirring anti-immigrant sentiment, according to the report.

"Extremist groups are good at seizing on whatever the hot button is of the
day and twisting the message to get new members," Deborah M. Lauter, ADL
Civil Rights director, said Monday. "This one seems to be taking hold with
more of mainstream America than we'd like to see." (Read the full ADL
reportexternal link)

"Klan groups have witnessed a surprising and troubling resurgence by
exploiting fears of an immigration explosion, and the debate over
immigration has, in turn, helped to fuel an increase in Klan activity, with
new groups sprouting in parts of the country that have not seen much
activity," Lauter said.

Old Klan chapters have been revived and new ones started throughout the
South, historically the heart of the group, and in other places such as
Michigan, Iowa and New Jersey, says the report.

Last May in Alabama, an anti-immigration rally included slogans such as,
"Let's get rid of the Mexicans!" according to the document, titled "Ku Klux
Klan Rebounds."

"The Klan is increasingly cooperating with other extremist groups and
Neo-Nazi groups," Lauter said. "That's a new phenomenon."

Between 2000 and 2005, hate groups mushroomed 33 percent and Klan chapters
by 63 percent, according to Mark Potok, director of the Southern Poverty Law
Center, which tracks hate crimes.

Precise data are difficult to pin down, but Potok's group counts as many as
150 Klan chapters with up to 8,000 members nationwide. More than 800 hate
groups exist around the country, Southern Poverty research shows.
Hate groups were fading in 1990s

In the late 1990s, memberships in such groups was crumbling as they lost
leaders and struggled to organize, said Brian Levin, director of the Center
for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San
Bernardino. Many hit bottom around 2000.

"Whenever you think the Klan is down and out, they find another way to
reinvent themselves," he said of the recent resurgence.

Historically, the Klan's focus had been to terrorize African-Americans --
through race riots, lynchings and other killings -- but it reached peak
membership at more than 4 million in the 1920s by focusing on immigration.

Newcomers from Ireland and Germany were portrayed as Catholic usurpers
invading the United States, taking jobs from native-born Americans and
undermining national fabric, Levin said.

Said Potok: "It's remarkable to look back at the nativist sentiments toward
Catholics -- it's very similar to what we're seeing with Mexicans now."

Today, many white supremacists blame immigrants, particularly Hispanics, for
crime, struggling schools or unemployment, for instance. With many Americans
already divided on how to revamp laws and practices to address the nation's
swelling immigrant communities, immigration "is an issue that works for hate
groups," Potok said.
A burning cross on the front lawn

Many Latinos are feeling the effects firsthand. Last September, a Kentucky
family originally from El Salvador found a wooden cross burning on their
front lawn just weeks after they moved in.

Earlier last year, a Latino teenager in Houston was brutally beaten and
sodomized while one attacker screamed "White Power!" The victim barely
survived, and one attacker was sentenced to life in prison.

"I've been doing [Hispanic advocacy work] for a long, long time and the
atmosphere has never been as poisonous as it has been in the last few
years," said Lisa Navarrete, a vice president at the National Council of La
Raza. "The level of vitriol is new."

Increasingly, fear permeates many Hispanic communities as individuals and
businesses are targeted. Last year, La Raza held a workshop at its annual
convention titled "Keeping Our Institutions Safe."

"It was very well attended, unfortunately," Navarrete said.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Labels: Immigration, KKK, Klu Klux Klan, Lou Dobbs, Media, Media Bias, Racism