May 7 - 13, 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 May 7-13, 2021.

 

The Bleak Prescience of Richard Wright 

Imani Perry, Professor of African American Studies at Princeton, reviews the previously unpublished Richard Wright novel The Man Who Lived Underground for The Atlantic. Wright is often contrasted with his two pupils, James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison, for his stark take on Black life in America. Perry argues that through this novel, combined with the current struggle for racial equality in America, Wright deserves a second look by critics.

 

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together

Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us and chair of the board of Color of Change, offers five key insights into her latest book.  McGhee uses the story of how Montgomery, Alabama, decided to drain a city pool rather than integrate it in the 1950s as an example of how racism exacts costs to white people too. McGhee also touches on public funding of higher education and the notion of a zero sum racial hierarchy.

 

Equitable Vaccine Distribution Requires Intentionality: Let's Do Better Next Time 

Elena Marks, CEO of Episcopal Health Foundation and a non-resident fellow in health policy at the Baker Institute, writes this commentary for the Baker Institute Blog. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Department of State Health Services suggests that communities of color are not getting vaccinated at the same rate as whites. Marks cites a number of reasons for this disparity, including internet connectivity and transportation issues. Marks argues that mass vaccinations during a pandemic should be approached from a public health rather than a health care perspective, which would help focus resources on communities with the greatest need.

Breaking Through

This episode of the PBS documentary series Asian Americans focuses on several U.S. communities from the late 1970s to present day. The first several minutes are spent on the 1982 murder of Chinese-American Vincent Chin in Detroit which exposed the limits of federal civil rights law. The documentary then shifts to the tensions in South Los Angeles that boil over when 15-year-old African American Latasha Harlins is shot and killed by Korean convenience store owner Sun Ja Du in 1991. Finally, the episode explores how Tereza Lee, a Brazilian-born Korean piano player, inspired the Dream Act before the 9/11 attacks cast doubt on naturalizing undocumented immigrants who came here as children.

Black People Are Far More Powerful Than Critical Race Theory Preaches

Chloe Valdary, founder of the Theory of Enchantment anti-racism training, writes this opinion piece for Newsweek. Valdary disputes what she sees as the core principle of critical race theory (CRT) - that Black people in the U.S. have been uniquely disempowered by systemic racism. Valdary points to the organization of the Civil Rights movement in the South, where Black communities rallied around Protestantism and free enterprise to successfully build wealth and change systems, as evidence that CRT is an inadequate tool for explaining anti-Black racism. 

 

Black Professionals Talk Race and Work 

Darren Everson, Deputy Chief News Editor of the Wall Street Journal, hosted this panel of Black professionals nearly a year ago and about two weeks after the murder of George Floyd. Included on the panel are a psychiatry resident, a restaurant owner from Ferguson, Missouri, a YES Prep principal from Houston, an entrepreneur, and a diversity and inclusion manager. The panel discusses their experiences with being Black in the workplace, corporate responsibility in promoting social justice, the balance between self-care and speaking out against injustice, and how to talk to young people of color about their future.

Bloomberg is Giving Johns Hopkins $150 Million to Diversify Science PhD Programs

Nick Anderson of the Washington Post files this story on Michael Bloomberg's recent gift to Johns Hopkins to help diversify graduate programs in science, technology, engineering, and math. Hopkins data suggests that no more than 5% of all PhD students in STEM programs at the university are Black or Latinx. The gift will fund a recruitment program and financial aid for students from historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. Additionally, Hopkins will expand enrollment in graduate STEM programs.