Combating Racism – Honoring Black History Month 2022 – Part 1

This week, February 1st will mark the beginning of Black History Month, honored every February since President Gerald Ford officially recognized the month in 1976. Originally created as Negro History Week in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, by the late 1960’s, Negro History Week evolved into Black History Month. Since 1976, every U.S. President has…

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Combating Racism – Eradicating Hate

“People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.” ~ Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom Last weekend I saw Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the classic movie, West Side Story. I loved the movie, the acting, the choreography, and the music as much as I did…

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Combating Racism – Statue of Freedom

A year ago this past week, the U.S. Capitol was the site of an insurrection against our democracy. But the U.S. Capitol has been a landmark for White supremacy since its founding. The Capitol was built and designed by those who believed in White supremacy. BACKGROUND On July 16, 1790, Congress declared the city of…

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Combating Racism – Setting Your New Year’s Resolutions

“Very few people will ever do great things, but all of us can do small things in a great way.” ~ Mother Teresa Hopefulness is the driving force behind every great endeavor. Because it allows us to envision positive outcomes, it can help focus our energies on generating beneficial effects. While there has been some cause…

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Combating Racism – A Cause for Hopefulness

Hopefulness is a mindset that helps us see the bright side of things and plan for a better future. Despite the continued systemic racism in our country, in the 18 months that I have been writing about racism, its impacts for our country, and ways to combat it, I have seen some rays of hope.…

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Combating Racism – Soldiers without Swords – Part 2

Throughout the 19th century, the Black press—those daily and weekly newspapers and magazines published by and for Black Americans—provided a forum and gave a voice to a people who were voiceless. With a pen as their weapon, Black journalists and publishers were soldiers without swords. Black newspapers played an equally significant role in the lives of…

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Combating Racism – Soldiers without Swords – Part 1

The Black press is a critical—but often ignored—aspect of Black history and culture. Along with churches, political and service organizations, cultural institutions, and schools and universities, the Black press has been central to community formation, protest and advocacy, education and literacy, and economic self-sufficiency. Black journalists played a dual role, serving as of purveyors of news and information and as agents…

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Combating Racism – Solving Discrimination in Jury Selection

[The following recommendations are abridged from “Illegal Racial Discrimination in Jury Selection: A Continuing Legacy” by the Equal Justice Initiative.] For the past two weeks, I have focused on illegal racial discrimination in jury selection and its consequences. Eliminating this racial discrimination will take considerable effort on the part of court officials, legislators, judges, prosecutors,…

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Combating Racism – Criminal Injustice – White Jury Bias

“In our courts, when it’s a White man’s word against a Black man’s, the White man always wins.” To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution establishes the right of a defendant charged with a crime to a trial by an impartial jury. But the history of our criminal…

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