1. Massachusetts Gov. Patrick Signs Transgender Equality Bill Into Law
The transgender equal rights law will make Massachusetts the 16th state to treat transgender citizens as a protected class. The law modifies language in Massachusetts statute to protect all individuals from discrimination, regardless of gender identities. This change will create equal protections for transgender individuals seeking employment, housing, credit and education. There are approximately 33,000 transgender residents living in Massachusetts. -from Colorlines
2. Find Our Missing Shines A Media Spotlight Where It’s Sorely Needed
Like other news magazines, the show, which debuted this week, focuses on the unsolved mysteries of missing persons that any crime junkie will find thrilling. The only difference between the cases featured on this show and programs like Dateline and 20/20 is the color of the victims’ skin. Host S. Epatha Merkerson (of Law and Order) focuses solely on the oft-ignored ignored cases of missing people of color. Aside from the victims, it’s important to point out that there is absolutely nothing about Find Our Missing that codes it as a ‘Black Show’. Yes, the cases are about our own [African-American] missing, but there is nothing about them that should prevent them from getting the same attention from the network programs. - from RACIALICIOUS
3. Has Christianity Become a “Get Out of Jail Free Card” for African Americans?
The bottom line is this: If a man’s spiritual journey leads him to a unique place, this message from God is no less authentic than the one received by those who’ve been socialized since birth to buy into a set of rules and protocols that get them into heaven in spite of any dastardly thing they’ve done. Part of the allure of a faith can be the rewards of conformity, as well as the threat of punishment from deviation. There is nothing more tempting than to know that saying a few simple words can clear my soul of any horrible things I’ve done to others. There is also nothing more frightening than to hear that my lack of compliance will result in burning in hell for all of eternity. That, my friends, is a very powerful marketing plan. At worst, it is a form of coercion that would lead Michelle Obama to call the anti-bully police. -from Huffington Post: BlackVoices
4. Wanted: More Black Entrepreneurs
Job cuts in the debt-strapped public sector, where one in five black workers is employed, have had an outsize impact on the African American community. Labor Dept. data show some 280,000 public employee positions were cut last year, even as the overall economy added 1.64 million jobs. Black unemployment increased to 15.8 percent in December, more than twice the level for whites. So black business leaders are shifting focus to addressing issues in the small business sector, where most new jobs are created and African Americans haven’t fared well. -from BusinessWeek
5. Black Women are Standing in a Crooked Room
When they confront race and gender stereotypes, black women are standing in a crooked room, and they have to figure out which way is up. Bombarded with warped images of their humanity, some black women tilt and bend themselves to fit the distortion. It may be surprising that some gyrate half-naked in degrading hip-hop videos that reinforce the image of black women’s lewdness. It may be shock ing that some black women actors seem willing to embody the historically degrading image of Mammy by accepting movie roles where they are cast as the nurturing caretakers of white women and children. It may seem inexplicable that a respected black woman educator would stamp her foot, jab her finger in a black man’s face, and scream while trying to make a point on national television, thereby reconfirming the notion that black women are irrationally angry. To understand why black women’s public actions and political strategies sometimes seem tilted in ways that accommodate the degrading stereotypes about them, it is important to appreciate the structural constraints that influence their behavior. It can be hard to stand up straight in a crooked room. -from Jezebel
6. The Justifiable Anger of Black Women … For Those Who Should Know Better (But Don’t)
As we know, our First Lady, Michelle Obama, recently answered back in an interview about the latest Obama gossip book, where she’s less-than-overtly portrayed as the ubiquitous embodiment of an “angry black woman.”
It’s been interesting to see how the public have responded to that interview; indeed, that the book should be taken with any credence at all is mind-boggling, because – as a friend of mine says – it’s all third party hearsay. The people directly involved weren’t interviewed at all. -from Osborne Ink
7. Black Women in European Politics: from Struggle to Success
Nowadays, it is a common occurrence to witness African-born women having successful careers in Europe. Despite the evident challenges, many of them have also distinguished themselves in politics. Still, it was not so long ago that such success would have seemed impossible. To achieve greatness, these women have often come a long way, both literally and figuratively. -from Global Voices Online
8. Why are we Expected to Line up for Red Tails but not Pariah?
Interesting enough, Red Tails was created by the same guy who brought us Jar Jar Binks, the computer-animated character who appeared in the Star Wars prequels and which generated much controversy over its racially charged, Rastafarian mimicry. So why there is such a heavy emphasis on supporting Lucas’ Red Tails while genuine black films like Pariah are left to their own devices? -from Madame Noire
9. The Big C’s Big Black Problem
Is “overweight underachiever with an endless arsenal of clever one-liners” a euphemism for sassy fat black girl? Why yes it is. Enter Sidibe, or Andrea, a student who cuts class, uses foul language, and proudly does not exercise. She is all attitude and doesn’t give a flying expletive what you think of it. When she was first introduced, I audibly expelled air — seriously? This again? Don’t we already have plenty of series with largely white casts flanked by sassy black tropes? Hiya, Mercedes from Glee, Donna from Parks & Recreation, Ava on Up All Night, Raineesha on the now defunct Reno 911!, Miranda on Grey’s Anatomy! And please don’t say “quit hating” — I love all those shows, The Big C included. I just know they have problems. -from Clutch Magazine
10. It wasn’t Pretty, but Philly Mayor Nutter was Speaking Truth about Bad Parents
While I agree that politicians must be held to a higher standard in controlling the words that fall from their lips, I was not disturbed at all when I read the mayor’s comments because he didn’t say anything that nearly all of us would have said in the privacy of our homes when we heard the details of this tragic and ridiculous shooting. -from My Brown Baby
