April 23 - 29, 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 April 23-29, 2021.

 

On Race and Racism 

Dr. Kwesi Kamau, Lead Pastor at IMPACT Church in Dallas, writes about race and racism from an historical perspective. Kamau reflects on the basis for racist ideas, which he says stem from two major theories - Aristotle's climate theory, which suggested humans who developed outside the favorable climate of Greece were less civilized, and the biblical curse of Ham and his descendants. Kamau believes that racist ideas flow from self-interest, not hate, and that humans and institutions have justified atrocities over time satisfy their own interests. He also writes about the role the church can play in meeting the challenge of unity and justice. Thanks to Bo Johnson for the recommendation.

 

After the Verdict: Reflections on an Unfinished Struggle for Racial Justice 

Dr. Alex Byrd, associate professor and vice provost for diversity, equity, and inclusion, hosted this panel of Rice faculty, alumni, and staff to discuss ongoing efforts toward social justice after the Derek Chauvin trial. Panelists give their reactions to the verdict and what they think Americans should be doing to ensure greater accountability among public officials. Associate athletics director J.P. Abercrumbie is featured.

 

The Economics of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) hosted this webinar on the economic advantages of engaging a diverse constituency through having a diverse and inclusive workforce and practices. The discussion is moderated by China Jude of the Denver Broncos and includes Texas A&M's Ross Bjork, Baylor's Jovan Overshown, Cory Moss of Collegiate Licensing Company, and Chris Kingston of Learfield/IMG.

 

Supreme Court Rejects Restrictions on Life Without Parole for Juveniles 

This story filed by NPR's Nina Totenberg covers the Supreme Court's recent decision that judges need not find "permanent incorrigibility" prior to sentencing juveniles to life in prison without parole. The decision reflects a shift in the court's thinking about juvenile offenses, which previously required judges to rule that offenders were irreparably corrupted before imposing the maximum sentence. I've included this story in this week's blog as a follow-up to my reading of Just Mercy, where Bryan Stevenson had argued that the immature brain development and lack of impulse control in juvenile offenders required the possibility of parole in sentencing.

 

60 Minutes Interviews the Prosecutors of Derek Chauvin 

Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes interviews Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in this recap of verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial. Prosecutors Jerry Blackwell and Steve Schleicher are also featured. Ellison talks about why Chauvin was not charged with a hate crime and gives his thoughts on the roll of video evidence in the trial. When asked about sentencing, Ellison says, "I don't know if it's right for a judge to send a message through a sentence, because the sentence should be tailored to the offense, to the circumstances of the case."

Three Men in Ahmaud Arbery Killing Charged With Federal Hate Crimes

The Wall Street Journal reports on the Justice Department's filing of federal hate crime charges in connection with the February, 2020 shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery in Southeast Georgia. While the three men accused of killing Arbery have also been charged with murder at the state level, this five-count indictment assert that Arbery was harrassed and killed "because of his race and color."

Just Thinking About Cooperation Can Make You Less Prejudiced

Researchers from Ludwig Maximilian University and Yale University studied children in the U.S. and Germany to determine levels of cooperation within and between groups. Antonia Misch and Yarrow Dunham found that cooperation was better within each group, but that the anticipation of cooperation helped reduce prejudice between groups. While the researchers produced these results using different colored scarfs to assign kids to groups, the results did not hold when kids were assigned to groups by gender.