March 19 - 25, 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 19-25, 2021.

 

Patrick Ewing's Coaching Success Is More Than a Feel-Good Story 

Jesse Washington, who co-wrote John Thompson Jr.'s autobiography, writes this piece for The Undefeated on Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown basketball program. Ewing, who as a player helped the Hoyas to three Final Fours and a national championship, just led his team to its first NCAA tournament appearance in his four years as head coach. Washington writes about Ewing carrying on the legacy of Thompson and how, as a seven-foot tall Black man, he has been seen as intimidating and less-than-human throughout his career.

To Attract Black Employees, Companies Move to Them

In an effort to diversify their workforces, many top companies are opening branches in the South, according to this article by Te-Ping Chen of the Wall Street Journal. McKinsey research points to a geographic mismatch between Black talent and economic opportunity. Fewer than 9% of Blacks live in the West, where most new job creation in tech has been concentrated, but nearly 60% live in the South. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and AirBnB have all opened hubs in Atlanta and seen their workforces diversify as a result. Atlanta’s demographic profile—its metro-area Black population is second in size only to New York City’s—gives it an edge over cities like Pittsburgh and Nashville that also have sizable diverse populations.

 

Race in the Ranks: Investigating Racial Bias in the U.S. Military 

David Martin files this story for 60 Minutes on the climate of discrimination and bias in the military. Martin interviews the first Black Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, about his experience rising through the ranks from a West Point cadet to a four-star general to his current post. "There's not a day in my life when I didn't wake up and think about the fact that I was a Black man." General C.Q. Brown, head of the U.S. Air Force and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shares his perspective as one of a small handful of Black Air Force pilots. African-Americans represent 17% of the military but only 8% of the officers, and they are over 50% more likely to face a court martial.

NCAA Withheld Use of Powerful 'March Madness' Brand From Women's Basketball

The difference in support and branding for the men's and women's NCAA Division I basketball tournaments has been in the news the past week, and this article from the Wall Street Journal examines the NCAA's decision to withhold the 'March Madness' brand from the women's tournament. While the NCAA initially stated that the decision was made in part to allow for women's basketball to build its own brand identity, branding experts believe the women's tournament would benefit substantially from the use of March Madness.

Susan La Flesche Picotte: The First American Indian Doctor

On this episode of the PBS series American Masters, Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte is profiled as the first American Indian to graduate from medical school and practice Western medicine. La Flesche Picotte grew up on a reservation near Omaha and left for school in New Jersey at age 14. After graduating at the top of her class at the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1889, she returned home to practice medicine. She served 1244 patients over a 1000 square mile reservation by herself until, in 1913, she opened the first private hospital on a reservation in U.S. history. La Flesche Picotte died in 1915 of bone cancer, and her hospital is now a national landmark. "I shall always fight good and hard, even if I have to fight alone."

 

Justice for the Negro Leagues Will Mean More Than Just Stats 

Rowan Ricardo Phillips writes this feature story for the New York Times Magazine about Major League Baseball's decision to recognize the seven Negro leagues under the major league framework. That recognition has limits, however - MLB will only view statistics from 1920 to 1948 when it considers adjustments to its record book. While many Negro league historians quibble over what should count and what shouldn't, Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, hopes the legend of Negro league players isn't lost to statistics. “These stories about Josh Gibson should be viewed as larger than life. Babe Ruth was in many eyes Paul Bunyan. Well, for Black folks, Josh Gibson was John Henry. And I don’t want to lose that.”

 

Why Are Asian Americans Being Attacked and What Can You Do About It? 

Zaid Jilani of Greater Good Magazine briefly traces the history of violence against Asian Americans after the murders in Atlanta earlier this month.  Research indicates that hate crimes are rising against Asian Americans, and they also are more likely to be victimized by members of other minority groups. Jilani offers a handful of suggestions to reduce hatred, including the promotion of counter-stereotypical information and focusing on individuals instead of group identity.