Black tennis was strong during the 1930s and 1940s, among women as well as men players. Isadore Channels was the leading female player in the early 1920s, winning four ATA national singles championships between 1922 and 1925. She was replaced by Ora Washington, who defeated her in a match in 1925 when Channels was the … [Read more…]
President Biden signed the important Inflation Reduction Act into law. And, of course, Democratic Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona held power to block this climate, medical care, and deficit reduction package. But they supported the bill, and each extracted a hefty price in exchange for their vote. This legislation, … [Read more…]
What roles do “equal opportunity” and “affirmative action” play as we try to address systemic racism? I was asked this question recently. I answer that neither of these ideas/practices is relevant to the struggle against racism. Neither should get in the way of addressing systemic or structural racism because neither blocks nor contests it. Each … [Read more…]
There are increasing cries that the United States needs to heal, reconcile, and move on. Please let us guard against the healing processes that occurred last time. On January 6th, afraid that their way of life was crumbling (under the onslaught of nonwhites and their friends) a broad cross-section of Trump’s cult attacked the capitol … [Read more…]
The U. S. A. was established on a system of white supremacy, meaning specifically the subjugation and subordination of people of African descent and Native peoples. Many people have fought and died trying to change this system, occasionally even having a little success, but never overturning white supremacy’s basic structure. Consequently, many if not most … [Read more…]
Collective bargaining is generally considered a good thing. All workers should have the opportunity to negotiate with employers to reach agreements on working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers’ compensation. However, some union contracts go beyond the terms and conditions of the workers’ employment. Police union contracts have created a system of protections for … [Read more…]
As we enter Black History Month, I will make note of an exceptional African American I met six years ago. Charles Harrison, a retired industrial designer, was brought to Virginia Tech in observance of Black History Month by the Colleges of Engineering and Architecture and Design. He did workshops for students and offered a public … [Read more…]
In case you missed George Will’s recent piece on Trump, here is an excerpt: “Dislike of him should be tempered by this consideration: He is an almost inexpressibly sad specimen. It must be misery to awaken to another day of being Donald Trump. He seems to have as many friends as his pluperfect self-centeredness allows, … [Read more…]
The media has been full of statements and reminiscences of President Bush who died last Friday. Many praise his public service and call him an honorable man of great character. They praise him for his admirable humanity. Through the years it has been my habit—and indeed my soapbox—to caution friends in assessing whether a particular … [Read more…]
Cindy Hyde-Smith Says She Never Lost Faith in Mississippi’s Racists By Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker Celebrating her election victory on Tuesday night, U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith said that, despite predictions that her state was ready to turn the page on its shameful past, “I never lost faith in Mississippi’s racists.” “For weeks, we’ve been … [Read more…]