March 12 - 18, 2021

On June 19, 2020, I made a commitment to educate myself on the lingering effects of racism, discrimination, and bias in America. Every day through June 18, 2021, I will read an article or book chapter, listen to a podcast, watch a movie or documentary, view a webinar, or do something substantive to educate myself in these areas. As part of that commitment, I will post to this blog each Friday with a list of what I've done over the past week as well as any pertinent thoughts or reflections.

Today's post covers the week of March 12-18, 2021.

 

Best Band in the Land 

Sharyn Alfonsi of 60 Minutes reports on the Saint Augustine High School band, which desegregated Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans. Ray Johnson, current band director and former player, was brought back to the school just over 10 years ago to reinfuse energy into the band after the death of the former director and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. With the annual Mardi Gras parade canceled this year, the band instead chose to march through their neighborhood in the 7th Ward.

 

The Many Lives of Pauli Murray 

Kathryn Schultz profiles the life of Pauli Murray for The New Yorker. Murray was a significant figure in both the civil rights and women's movement, authoring the template Thurgood Marshall used in arguing Brown v. Board of Education and co-founding the National Organization for Women with Betty Friedan. Murray also identified as transgender and acknowledged the indivisibility of gender identity, race, and sex years before Kimberle Crenshaw coined the term "intersectionality." Murray, who died in 1985, was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church in 1977.

How Women Make It to the Top in Technology

The first infographic of the blog makes an appearance this week, courtesy of the Boston Consulting Group. The graphic shows how adding and promoting women leads to higher returns, and how surveys indicate similar ambitions among men and women seeking leadership roles. Men and women also differ in attitudes toward job changes, external support, and the value of technical proficiency.

Germany Readies Quota For Women Board Members

According to this article from the Wall Street Journal, Germany is set to implement a law requiring at least one woman on corporate boards of listed companies with 2000 or more employees. The law would impact about 70 companies total, including 30 that currently have all-male boards. The law is similar to one passed in California in 2018, and is set to be enforced just as the NASDAQ is asking federal regulators for permission to require its listed companies to have at least one female board member or explain why they don't. The Securities and Exchange Commission delayed its ruling on that request last week.

 

Celebrate Women's History Month - Share This Inventor's Profound Story With Your Children 

Forbes profiles inventor Margaret Knight, who filed 22 patents and created nearly 100 inventions over a 42-year career in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Despite her elementary school education, Knight was a curious and natural problem-solver. Her inventions spanned several industries, including textiles, paper bags, shoes, and car engines. Knight was never able to fully capitalize on her expertise, and even had ideas stolen from her under the guise of "a woman never could have thought of that."

 

Why Is It Still OK To 'Trash' Poor White People? 

In this story from National Public Radio, Leah Donnella explores the history of the term "white trash" and why it remains socially acceptable to refer to poor white people in this way. Temple sociologist Matt Wray sees the term as an oxymoron that actually highlights how society feels about people of color - "white" conveys purity and cleanliness, and whites are the only racial group that needs a modifier to become a slur. Nancy Isenberg, who wrote a book on the subject, sees the term as a way to generalize and marginalize an entire group of people without actually listening them.

How Racism and Sexism Intertwine to Torment Asian-American Women

Shaila Dewan reports for the New York Times on the recent murders in Atlanta. Hate crimes have been on the rise recently, and federal statistics point to men as the most frequent victims of these violent acts. However, a recent analysis by Stop AAPI Hate points out that among Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, more than two-thirds of recent hate crime reports came from women. The long history of sexual stereotyping of Asian women is discussed as a contributing factor.