Talking About Race

Called to Serve Vietnam: Stories of Men and Womem Confronted by the Vietnam War Draft

2012-01-29T22:25:00.000-08:00

Called to Serve Vietnam
Called to Serve: Stories of the Men and Women Confronted by the Vietnam War Draft
Tom Weiner
Author of CALLED TO SERVE: Stories of Men and Women Confronted by the Vietnam War Draft
website: http://www.calledtoservevietnam.com
e-mail: tweiner909@comcast.net
Published by Levellers Press
https://store.collectivecopies.com/store/show/319
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

« WAR DEHUMANIZES EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATES – INCLUDING US!Obama Speaks: No Wonder Our Country Remains Obsessed with our Military Might
I tried to watch the State of the Union address this week. I even asked my class of 19 6th graders to give a listen for 15 minutes. But as the article below describes, Barack Obama essentially “couched his entire address in unqualified celebration of the U.S. military.” Once again, thanks to www.commondreams.org I have found a very articulate and passionate condemnation of not only Obama’s insistence on praising the military, but also the author’s analysis of the silence of the pundits who spoke when he finished as well as the news media. Such acceptance of his exceptionalism and super patriotism can be seen as seeking to exonerate our nation for the destruction it continues to rain down on the citizens of other countries as well as to prepare the ground for the next stop in our perpetual wars of empire – Iran. I will let you read on and draw your own conclusions, but please try to imagine how such militaristic sounding words play in the minds of our fellow U.S. citizens and those of our fellow world citizens. It does matter not only what we do, but what we say and Obama has clearly fallen for the opiate that is military might and the empire it supports.
Ms. Flanders also references the words of Ralph Nader about the President’s speech on Democracy Now – well worth hearing/reading as well.
Published on Thursday, January 26, 2012 by The Nation
Not A Peep About President’s Praise for War

by Laura Flanders
The grades for the president’s State of the Union are in and the critics have been kind. In fact, it’s chilling to see just how few hits the president takes for couching his entire address in unqualified celebration of the US military.

Speaking of the troops, President Obama began: “At a time when too many of our institutions have let us down, they exceed all expectations.”

Post-show pundits on cable news praised the president’s comfort with his commander-in-chief role but none saw fit to mention recent news — of marines urinating on Afghan corpses, say, or Staff Sgt Wuterich walking free after participating in the killing of 24 unarmed men, women and children in Haditha, Iraq. Accompanying Obama’s next phrase, “Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed their example,” no one thus far has played vile viral video. The critics have been kind.

The president chose to celebrate the US military; the press chose not to raise a peep about the spread of US militarism. Yet US targets proliferate — abroad – with unmanned drones assassinating unconvicted suspects in innumerable undeclared wars. And militarism spreads at home. The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act makes indefinite military detention without charge or trial a permanent feature of the American legal system. It’s kind of the critics not to mention that – or the president’s four-year-old pledge to close Guantanamo, and to restore the “rule of law.”

“They’re not consumed with personal ambition… They work together,” continued the president (again, speaking of the troops.) There are surely plenty of troops who would disagree. The tally is long of commanders and pigeon hawk commanders-of-commanders who’ve dodged responsibility, fingered underlings and permitted rank-and-file “bad-apples” to take the heat for US war crimes.

“Those of us who’ve been sent here to serve can learn a thing or two from the service of our troops,” the president concluded.

There are indeed things we can learn; things that many US troops have begged us to learn. That war dehumanizes the killer and the killed, and that war tactics have a habit of spreading from the war zone to the home. Successive generations have told us that military recruiters lie, and that “rules of war” exist only in legal minds. (Ninety percent of casualties in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were civilians.) Troops have begged us to learn just what we are celebrating when we celebrate “winning” and war.

As far as I can see, Ralph Nader on Democracy Now was the lone voice of disgust on national TV.

Clearly we have a lot to learn.

© 2012 The Nation

Laura Flanders was the founder and host of GRITtv and is the author of the books BUSHWOMEN and Blue Grit. She’s the editor of At the Tea Party

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 29th, 2012 at 1:04 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Obama Speaks: No Wonder Our Country Remains Obsessed with our Military Might”

Kay Kaolin says:

January 30, 2012 at 6:09 am

Thank you for these articles, Tom. It is also harrowing how many miltary terms are being used in TV commercials. On CNN several weeks ago, the commentator, Don Lemon, hosted a program called “Rapid Fire”. It was simply a news program with no particular emphasis on military news. I found the title incredibly offensive and an insult to vets everywhere.

The exposure to the mass manipulation of our children, inundating them to war terms; as well as adults, as if it will simply wear us down and go unnoticed and/or accepted is a delusion on the media’s part.

And while it remains true, that the voting alternative to Pres. Obama winning the next election, would cause a descent that would be beyond belief with irreversible consequences; it is also true that we must hold the President accountable for promoting war and raising our children & adolescents, to think of themself as being of value and having a future ONLY by becoming soldiers. This is already a tragedy of mass proportions!

Their self-esteem is often incredibly low and many do not see school as an option due to the cost of it. But in addition, peer pressure to be tough falls right into proving oneself by joining the military, getting a salary and possibly a home one day; because there is little or no alternative and our youth do know that already.

We know why there are few alternatives for them. Because the war wheel was designed way before they were born, to give them too few options and no choice.

That’s why.

As it happens, I will be on WTCC 90.7 FM radio (STCC) The Lewis and Morrow Financial Hour from 9-10 AM this Wed, Feb,1, 2012 and I plan to discuss this further with them. The program can be streamed, will be recorded and up on my website several days afterwards. My own book is titled “Talking About Race: A Workbook About White People Fostering Racial Equality in Their Lives”, I hope you and your readers can tune in.

Reply

Interested in Supprting Global Leadership?

2012-01-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation supporting young global leadership impacting positive social change and the NGOs that support them.
info@Lucefoundation.org

Barbara Beckwith

2012-01-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

Hi -

Be sure to check out Barbara Beckwith's new blog and her book, What Was I Thinking? Reflections on Everyday Racism
published by www.cddbooks.com

Cambridge Center for Adult Education - Literature & Writing Program

2012-01-19T14:15:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, April 11th, I will be one of (3) panelists sponsored by the program for Literature & Writing courses at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education as part of their annual Writer's Life Series. The series, presented in collaboration with the National Writer's Union, takes place at the historic Blacksmith House in Cambridge on Wednesday evenings in April and May. Each evening features three local writers and is moderated by Charles Coe (co-chair of the National Writers Union, Boston Chapter). You can learn more about the Cambridge Center on our website:
> > http://www.ccae.org/about/index.html
>

Wed. February 1, 2012 Interview with Lewis & Morrow 90.7FM 9-10 AM

2012-01-17T14:06:00.000-08:00

Talking About Race
Be sure to listen to KAOLIN'S INTERVIEW ON the LEWIS & MORROW FINANCIAL HOUR WTCC 90.7 FM WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 1ST, BLACK HISTORY MONTH FROM 9-10 AM. The Lewis & Morrow Financial Hour with guest author, Kaolin, can be streamed at wtccfm.org

Martin Luther King Jr. Assasinated

2011-08-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

The Help

2011-08-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of buzz going around about the book and film "The Help".

I had already decided not to watch the movie and I have not read the book.

My sister, Catherine, had sent me two blogs that had an excellent assesement of both. One is by Jennifer Williams of MS. and the other by Akiba Solomon in Colorlines. I have added the links and decided to re-read Toni Morrison's "Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination" instead of seeing the film.

A few days ago, I looked up a website to a book about money that I was interested in. Then I noticed that in the ads, there was not one person of color! The money book had included diversity and came out in '93, so I was really taken aback by this. I wrote them and told them so. To their credit, witin 2 days, they sent me an apology and posted new ads that included more diversity. I was impressed and told them so.

That is it for today, I hope you have a good one ahead!

Content of Character - Interview with Paul Russell

2011-08-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

Hi - Be sure to read my latest interview with Paul Russell in the Content of Character website, follow the link. ~ K

Returning to Blogging

2011-08-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

Gosh, it has been a very long time since I have blogged. The death of a beloved family member in September took me by surprise and within 6 months of his passing, two of my closest friends made their transition. Meanwhile my book has been gaining significant attention, it is in many libraries and I have been getting more work as a writer and marketer, so in the midst of these losses, it has been a fertile year giving birth to many opportunities for growth, expansion and change. And I have been catching up on some reading.

Here are just a few of the books I have read:

"The Dirty Little Secrets of Buzz" by David Seaman who encourages you to become more social media savvy. "When the Piano Stops: A Memoir of Healing from Sexual Abuse" by my sister, Catherine B. McCall, "The Disordered Mind" by my brother, George A. Graham and one of my favorite books about racism "White Lies: Race and the Myths of Whiteness" by Maurice Berger. In addition, I read Marian Haddad's poetry "Somehere Between Mexico and a River Called Home" and "Wildflower. Stone" and Michelle Alexanders' "Jim Crow and Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" which is a must for anyone working on racial equality. And there have been more books, many more books. But today, I am in the middle of reading "Sell More Books!" by J. Steve Miller and Cherie K. Miller which is interesting and useful.

I had a workshop at the North Star charter school in W. MA. recently and was impressed by the students who were so attentive and forthcoming. And in September, Sat. the 17th I will be at the Author's Event to meet, greet and sign copies of my book at the Springfield Central Library in Springfield, MA. from 10-4pm.

On Thursday Oct. 6th at 6 pm, I will be having a reading at Barnes & Nobles at 335 Russell Street in Hadley, Massachusetts. And I am working on several projects I will be writing about soon. Most of my time has been wrapped around meetings that have been worhwhile and uplifting.

I have also been working as a life coach while I am marketing several authors books. This is a new direction for me and the result of all I have learned since Jan. 2010 when my own book was launched. It has been gratifying that other authors have decided they could use some help getting the word out about their books.

Meanwhile follow the link to the Content of Character website, to read an interview I had with Paul Russell this week. I enjoyed Paul's questions very much and was glad to learn about this website. I am sure you will want to check out at http://www.contentofcharacter.org

http://www.contentofcharacter.org/homepage_slider/interview-with-kaolin-the-challenge-in-getting-unstuck/

I look forward to writing more often and want to congratulate Craig Taylor, CEO and founder of Rare Hip Hop as his business has been taking off for several months now. I also want to thank T Glenn for her willingness to assist me on this journey as the path for my own book continually widens.

This promises to be a most interesting part of my life. I look forward to sharing more on this blog and hope you'll let me know what you think of the interview.

Best,

Kaolin

Why I Wrote "Talking About Race ..."

2010-07-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Many people have been writing to me asking me why I wrote my bookTalking About Race: A Workbook About White People Fostering Racial Equality in Their Lives. So, today, I thought I'd give you a few details about its inception ...

Talking About Race - One Woman's Story

My name is Kaolin. I am a Caucasian woman and the author of a book titled Talking About Race: A Workbook About White People Fostering Racial Equality in Their Lives. My family is biracial and while my children and I went through many trends regarding race/ism and diversity in school systems we were never completely satisfied with the results. We experienced racism often enough to have learned how to cope with the stress of racism in our lives. However, as many of you already know, one never really adapts to racism. With each occurrence we are required to assimilate every nuance of it, then process it and then continue to assimilate into a culture that might prefer to believe that it does not exist. In fact, due to President Barack Obama being biracial, I have been told that we are in a post-racial era, meaning racism is truly behind us. Many say we have enough evidence of that in the fact that our President is a man of color therefore we can move on, don't make waves or fuss about the legacy of slavery whose affects we have each inherited; or, the continued assaults on people of color that exist in politics, in our communities, in our institutions and often times in our own families.

In 1994 I attended Holyoke Community College in MA. then transferred to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. I went to school full time by day and worked full time at night for a residential program for children and families. While in school the racism the students of color were experiencing drew me to a halt and I had to pause and think about what to do about it. I heard from many white students that they were silent about racism when they would prefer to speak-up and out about it; I heard that they were fearful of racism and that they had seen it as an inevitable part of life they would eventually succumb to because they had come to believe they may be helpless to do anything about it.

So I designed a course titled Let's Talk About Race: Confronting Racism Through Education and through an independent studies program I was able to teach it for a year.

In Talking About Race: A Workbook About White People Fostering Racial Equality in Their Lives you will find that the chapter titles map out a road for you to follow that involves your active involvement in the book. For example, I ask you to define racism in the beginning of the book and then again at the end of it. Why? because your impression of racism changes as you read, and so do you. I ask you to recognize racism, resist racism, to talk about your insecurities regarding racism (we all have them) and to shape your own identity where racial equality is concerned. There were both students of color and Anglo students in class. So you learn a great deal about what our youth is going through about racism as they struggle for racial equality. The students quotes are embellished within the 120 page paperback and there is a fine glossary and workbook questions in each chapter with plenty of room for you to jot down your own ideas while you record your own race-story. Everyone has one.

I hope you will contact me with any questions or comments you might have about my book. Talking About Race: A Workbook About White People Fostering Racial Equality in Their Lives is being sold at Barnes and Nobles, Amazon books, Indie Bound Bookstores and http://cddbooks.com Do log onto to my book site http://www.ltar.biz for more information or contact me by email at kaolinltar@comcast.net You can also join my Fan Page on Facebook by following this link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Talking-About-Race/161062685786?ref=ts I look forward to your questions and comments about this work. This work is for all people of all ages. It is great for schools, churches, book clubs, activists, after school programs and families.

Several Women I Am Grateful to and Admire!

2010-07-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have posted on my own blogs. During that time a friend of mine had several strokes while another passed away. There have been a handful of women I have relied upon for support as I adjusted to these changes and I want to thank them now:

My daughter, Amara Williams. Amara works with me in several different capacities and always with great enthusiasm, compassion, intelligence and charm! Thank you so much for your support, Amara!

My sister, Catherine McCall, MS, LMFT Catherine is a therapist with a practice in Atlanta and a presenter for RAINN (http://www.rain.org) Catherine has a memoir out titled When the Piano Stops: A Memoir of Healing from Sexual Abuse which has been out for a little over a year.

In the UK it has been on the best seller list under the title Never Tell for many weeks. You can read Mrs. McCall's articles published in Psychology Today. Go to their link (http://www.psychologytoday.com)for more information.

Cath, what a joy it is to have such a courageous author be my very own sister!! Congratulations on all of the work you have been doing and thanks for being there for me all the while.

Marian Haddad, author, essayist, teacher among so many, many other things has been quite a support person and I thank her for that right now! Ms. Haddad's new book Wildflower. Stone. is coming out shortly so you will want to keep an eye out for it.

Marian was a Pushcart Awards Nominee for Poetry last year. Her humor and expertise has been a a real blessing for me these past few months. Thank you so much, Marian.

Carolyn Battle Cochrane you amaze me! You will all be hearing a lot about Carolyn's newly released documentary BIRACIAL NOT BLACK DAMN IT as her work keeps "buliding the bridge that will bring the races together."

Carolyn has been interviewed by Tyra Banks, and CNN's Campbell Brown. Their quotes about Carolyn's work are on the cover of the 2 - set DVD, along with Yvonne S. Thornton, M.D. - Author "The Ditch-Digger's Daughters" - Pulitzer Prize Nominee and Lori Brown -Ed.D Educator/Entrepeneur - Opera Soup Productions, LLC. (And you will notice that my own quote happens to be included, too.) BIRACIAL NOT BLACK DAMN IT is one honest, thoughtful and timely documentary. For those who believe that we are in a "post racial" era you will have cause to think again as you view this film. And for many biracial teens and adults you will be the receivers of a platform that you might not have known existed for you before.

What can I say, Carolyn? Your work has touched my heart deeply and enhanced my knowledge of the workings within my own interracial family. I am indebted to you for your
devotion, expertise & sheer brilliance about a subject many shy away from, are actually afraid of or may believe is non-existent. Thank you! Thank you!

There are other women who also mean a great deal to me. As the weeks and months go by I will tell you more about them.

So as you can see Talking About Race continues. The subject is woven within my cherished friendships both within and without my own family members.

These past few months have been full, busy and perhaps most importantly, as fertile with new beginnings as they have been with stunning points-of-departure between old friends as only severe illness and passings can be. Certainly I am not alone. My cup is full. I hope that yours is too.

Talking About Race: The National Organization for Women (NOW) Conference

2010-07-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

Talking About Race: The National Organization for Women (NOW) Conference

The National Organization for Women (NOW) Conference

2010-07-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

During the July 4th weekend I had the opportunity to be a workshop presenter at the anti-racism committee at NOW's Conference at The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers Boston. MA.

As anticipated, it was a wonderful experience.I met so many women who are invested in fostering racial equality in their lives, families and community!

It was a pleasure autographing books and listening to the speakers latest information regarding women in the prison system, affected by domestic violence and concerns regarding their health and welfare.

Dr.LeRoy Carhart, Silvia Henriquez, Amy Goodman,Loretta Ross, Susan Douglas and Nicki Tsongas were just a few of the Conference Speakers and Honorees present.

I left inspired and do want to thank one of NOW's Board Members, Jocelyn "Joyce" Morris, for her extreme kindness in extending the invite to me. To my delight hand-outs were dispersed of my definition of racism, taken from [pg. 115] in my book.

I returned energized, optimistic and eager to get to work with NOW to foster racial equality in our lives!

An update on Talking About Race

2010-07-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

Talking About Race - One Woman's Story

My name is Kaolin. I am a Caucasian woman and the author of a book titled Talking About Race: A Workbook About White People Fostering Racial Equality in Their Lives. My family is biracial and while my children and I went through many trends regarding race/ism and diversity in school systems we were never completely satisfied with the results. We experienced racism often enough to have learned how to cope with the stress of racism in our lives. However, as many of you already know, one never really adapts to racism. With each occurrence we are required to assimilate every nuance of it, then process it and then continue to assimilate into a culture that might prefer to believe that it does not exist. In fact, due to President Barack Obama being biracial, I have been told that we are in a post-racial era, meaning racism is truly behind us. Many say we have enough evidence of that in the fact that our President is a man of color therefore we can move on, don't make waves or fuss about the legacy of slavery whose affects we have each inherited; or, the continued assaults on people of color that exist in politics, in our communities, in our institutions and often times in our own families.

In 1995 I transferred from Holyoke Community College to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. I went to school full time by day and worked full time at night for a residential program for children and families. While in school the racism the students of color were experiencing drew me to a halt and I had to pause and think about what to do about it. I heard from many white students that they were silent about racism when they would prefer to speak-up and out about it; I heard that they were fearful of racism and that they had seen it as an inevitable part of life they would eventually succumb to because they had come to believe they may be helpless to do anything about it.

So I designed a course titled Let's Talk About Race: Confronting Racism Through Education and through an independent studies program in the WOST (Women's Studies) department was able to teach it for a year.

In Talking About Race: A Workbook About White People Fostering Racial Equality in Their Lives you will find that the chapter titles map out a road for you to follow that involves your active involvement in the book. For example, I ask you to define racism in the beginning of the book and then again at the end of it. Why? Because your impression of racism changes as you read, and so do you. I ask you to recognize racism, resist racism, to talk about your insecurities regarding racism (we all have them) and to shape your own identity where racial equality is concerned. There were both students of color and Anglo students in class. So you learn a great deal about what our youth is going through about racism as they struggle for racial equality. The students quotes are embellished within the 120 page paperback and there is a fine glossary and workbook questions in each chapter with plenty of room for you to jot down your own ideas while you record your own race-story. Everybody has one.

I hope you will contact me with any questions or comments you might have about my book. Talking About Race: A Workbook About White People Fostering Racial Equality in Their Lives is being sold at Barnes and Nobles, Amazon books, Indie Bound Bookstores and http://cddbooks.com Log onto to my book site http://ltar.biz for more information or contact me by email at kaolinltar@comcast.net I look forward to your questions and comments about this work. And do join my Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Talking-About-Race/161062685786?ref=ts

2009-10-15T19:16:00.001-07:00

Talking About Race

2009-10-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

Hi!

I wanted to let you know what I have been up to.

My book "Talking About Race: A Workbook About White People Fostering Racial Equality in Their Lives" will be out January 15, 2010. You can see the add for it on http://cddbooks.com

On January 21, 2010 I start teaching a course on line based on the book. Log on to http://www.campus.euroamerican.org

In addition I have been reading some incredible books. Here are four of them:

Between Barack and a Hard Place by Tim Wise
Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Joy Degruy Leary, Ph.D
Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon
Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong by James W. Loewen

I am on FB several times a day and it is on FB that you can see videos I have posted and many articles on this subject. In the next two weeks I plan to have quite of few of them linked to this blog site.

Kaolin

Returning to blogging ...

2009-09-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

Hi! It has been about a month since my last blog entry. I have been involved in several other projects while mastering Facebook, amazed at the wonderful information exchanged on it! I do plan to return to blogging on a daily basis in mid-October. I hope all is well with you and that you will check in again on the 15th of October. Thank you! Kaolin

2009-08-30T06:34:00.001-07:00

More about Barbara ...

2009-08-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

A friend of Barbara's and her deceased husband had called to stop by to visit her. His name was Harry and he is African American. Barbara knew that this might cause a commotion where she lived, as he'd be picking her up to take her out. So she let him know the kind of place she lived in. (She had not chosen the residence by the way, it was chosen for her, but that is another story!) Harry said that is something he is willing do deal with.

He picked her up. The attendant was clearly uncomfortable. (I was there visiting at the time.) He helped her into the car and off they went. They returned several hours later. I am also there as B. and I had other things to do that afternoon. Harry helped her out of the car and they gave each other a kiss goodbye.

The head of the residence was up in her office and noticed B. return as they have a back entrance that is wheelchair accessible.

Although she knows me and knows I was there she had come out of the elevator with a growl of an expression on her face and her posture was stiff as a board too. She looked to me and said, "I was upstairs and saw them out the window, and wanted to come down to make sure everything was all right."

Now I knew where she was at. I let it go because I also knew Barbara would figure it out and want to deal with it in her own way. B. is the one who is living there and in this woman's care it needs to be worked out between them. Once inside the woman followed us in the elevator and she asked B. "So that is your friend?"

And Barbara answered "He most certainly is." She then proceeded to go to the staff room and to share this interaction with the staff.

How do I know?

Well, I don't. I am drawing an assumption based upon the changes in attitude toward Barbara ever since that day. Before she went out to lunch with Harry the staff were exceptionally sweet and accomodating toward her. They had often told me how wonderful she is.

Since that day Barbara has begun to have a reputation for being "difficult". They told her daughter that she is "getting worse" when she is not and has no signs of dementia. They warned her that if she continues to give them "any problems" she will have to go.

Barbara has decided to withstand the storm. She has no choice but to do that. She is still very happy. None of this has phased her although you cannot help but be aware of the change and it is unpleasant.

Someone at her lunch table said to her, "Is he really your friend"?

To which B. answered, "He most certainly is." "Oh ..." the woman said, and turned away.

She has not spoken to Barbara since.

"I am okay with that" Barbara said to me and added, "She needn't ever speak to me again. That is all right."

You Are Never Too Old to Come Out for Racial Equality!

2009-08-19T06:05:00.000-07:00

I have been away from blogging for several weeks and catching up on reading.

What have I been reading? "Between Barack and a Hard Place" and "White Like Me" by Tim Wise. Both books are thoroughly engaging.

I have found myself saying "Yes!" "Yes!" to so many points Wise makes throughout each book.

My own book will be out on January 15, 2010 titled "Let's Talk about Race: A Workbook about White People Fostering Racial Equality in their Lives". There has been much behind the scenes work to do.

I have received so much support for this effort that I am amazed and very happy about it! In the next few months I will be telling you more about this.

In the news so much is going on that is deeply disturbing to me. On Facebook I have a great many videos about the highlights. In several days I will update you on what is going on. But I will add this today:

I have a friend who is white and she is ninety years old. Until recently Barbara (this is not her real name) shied away from talking about race however B. has shared some alarming stories with me from her childhood. The other day she proudly came forward about her position regarding racial equality in the community she lives in. It was a risky and courageous act. Barbara lives in a controlled environment and the people who run it and live in it are all white. So she stepped up and out even though she is wheelchair bound and has been for five years. No matter their reaction she will not be able to walk away from it and no one is more aware of that than Barbara.

The result of her honesty and refusal to keep her views hidden from others has caught the attention of the woman who runs the place.

She often looks at B. with hostility but Barbara simply smiles all the more and when she does she does so with integrity and happiness.

Barbara's face literally glows and the serenity she feels about her decision to share her views is transparent to everyone around her.

It has been wonderful to witness her "coming out" about her views regarding racial equality. The liberation from the silence she was trained to believe was more appropriate wore itself out; the
"gift" of acceptance from some family members and peers that was simply a bribe to encourage her to be quiet wore itself thin.

Barbara has come into her own and couldn't suppress it any longer. This served as a reminder to me, that it is never too late to let race matter, even if it is a social construction (which we know it is) we can choose self-expression over repression at any age.

A Few Words about Race/ism today.

2009-08-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say hello.

After the meeting at the White House with Dr. Gates, Detective Crowley, V.P Biden and President Barack Obama, I was clearly disappointed with the outcome. Of course this is not to say that everyone was. But I took issue with meeting over a "beer" and outside instead of inside, the photo shoot beforehand and the rather weak postures of each person as they stepped away from the table.

It did not lend itself toward a "teachable" moment, although so many teachers are absolutely brilliant and dedicated that I do expect many will maximize on this opportunity to draw as much from it as humanly possible.

The drinking seemed highly inappropriate to me at the time and in retrospect I still believe that it was. Alchohol of any kind under such circumstances was a poor choice in my book. I am still not over that.

But I am moving on in the full recognition that nothing has been resolved to my satisfaction as a result of that meeting.

I have been watching "Reclaiming the Dream" on CNN. This program is rich in its presentation and the panel's dedication and involvement in the black community. In case you are unaware of the dilemma's facing our children where race/ism is concerned today, tune in as a great deal can be learned from it.

More later,

Kaolin

LTAR

2009-07-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

I have been away from LTAR but not for long. As always, there is so much going on. The incident with Prof. Gates coupled with Pres. Obama's comment, which I believe was misconstrued, is getting sorted
out by the President as I write. Hopefully President Obama will prevent even greater manipulations of race from taking place this week. Good luck President Obama!

But I have noticed something else which is bothering me and wonder if you have too? Many journalist's are referring to President Obama as Mr. Obama. Once chosen to comment or ask their press questions during a televised conference, they often say, "Yes, sir?" Is that the appropriate protocal? Isn't President Obama the way - the only way the President of the United States should be addressed?

On many news programs reporters are also doing this, especially those in the local news stations. I find this deeply disturbing and wonder at how one can make the same mistake several times over with no one in these stations stepping up and correcting them? Is it a conscious or subconscious omission on their part? Is it too hard for them to say "President Obama"?

I just wonder as I do not remember that being the case with other presidents.

You may know more about it than I do. I'd like to know what you think.

Racially-speaking my blog is about day-to-day experiences with racism and how we deal with them. It may be time to record who says what, when and where and start to send emails to the stations asking for a review of the proper greeting the President of the U.S.A is supposed to be getting. Exactly how one in the business and on the air is supposed to be referencing the President
while discussing the President with their associates needs to be corrected.

On another note , this week I came to the realization that empathy in intimate relations with one another is key in my relationships. But it is as important to receive empathy as it is to give it away, otherwise what is the point?

What do we have to offer one another as we struggle for racial equality together, if we do so without being empathetic to one another's experiences? We all know that relationships often dissolve when there is no equality within them. But what constitutes equality in your relationships? I had begun re-evaluating what I believe constitutes equality in mine these past few weeks, and have made the necessary changes in my life to be sure there is a balance in my relationships, a give and take I can rely upon.

Let me know what you consider to be most important to you regarding the issues I have presented here today and thanks so much for your time.

Kaolin

LTAR

2009-07-11T18:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to LTAR which stands for Let's Talk About Race.

On the LTAR blog site we will discuss our experiences with racism and what we are doing to foster racial equality in our lives today.

For example Liza, a white friend of mine, recently noticed that on the page of her business website she had very few photos of families of color. It happened to have many photos of European white families instead. Liza realized that this misrepresented her intent as her clients are more diversified and she wanted to keep it that way.

So, what did she do about it? Liza contacted her website host and had more photos of families of color added on it. Once they were added on the photos represented families as Liza had wanted it to, it also let those who visit her site and explore her business know that her clients are of color and white.

This is just one of many examples of the steps one can take to be sure they are promoting their own desire for racial equality in their life. It happened to be a business example but of course in our private lives there are many things one can do to ensure racial equality within our own families, schools, churches and communities. The LTAR blog invites you to share your own stories about this subject.

There are many of us who come across experiences like Liza's every day. We may have an opportunity to speak up when we experience racism and yet remain silent. We may have an opportunity to take an action that fosters racial equality yet remain neutral or even passive letting an opportunity go by that would match our ideals when the subject is race/ism.

Why? There are many reasons why and LTAR will examine them.

How? LTAR invites you to talk about what your experiences with racism have been and may be today.

The LTAR blog is for those of you who would like to find solutions to problems regarding race/ism in your life today.

LTAR is a place where we can share our concerns and present options so those problems might be solved.

I look forward to hearing from you about your own experiences, concerns and solutions regarding this subject. If you have any questions about this blog include them too!

Kaolin