The Civil Rights Movement created "unrealistic expectations of equal outcomes" among minorities, according to Texas conservatives trying to rewrite American history textbooks. They want students to learn that bit of undemocratic, phony history.
Imagine Thomas Jefferson opening the Declaration of Independence with, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, no one should have unrealistic expectations of human equality..."
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March 11, 2010
Yesterday’s News … Or Is It?
It's almost yesterday's news. Iverson. One of the greatest scorers in NBA history. A top-notch player by anyone's standards. An athlete of the highest order; a man of skill, a poster boy for one of the greatest professions on earth. And in the recycling bin, buried in the sports page, is a story of his ultimate unraveling last week: his wife filed for divorce, the Philadelphia 76ers relieved him of his duties, his drinking problem was exposed, and like others -- like me -- gambling claimed his soul.
Although sometimes a controversial figure in the NBA, Allen Iverson, AI, had it all. Big money, a marriage to his high school sweetheart, five beautiful children, and a promising career even for a mature and seasoned player. This year, however, the decline was obvious. He warmed the bench more than he was allowed to warm our hearts. And behind it all, behind his questionable value to the team where he spent many of his professional years, the demon was busy organizing a total dismantling of everything he worked so hard to achieve.
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Although sometimes a controversial figure in the NBA, Allen Iverson, AI, had it all. Big money, a marriage to his high school sweetheart, five beautiful children, and a promising career even for a mature and seasoned player. This year, however, the decline was obvious. He warmed the bench more than he was allowed to warm our hearts. And behind it all, behind his questionable value to the team where he spent many of his professional years, the demon was busy organizing a total dismantling of everything he worked so hard to achieve.
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March 9, 2010
Paterson’s Record Cut During a Homelessness Crisis
New York City just posted a new record high for homelessness, but Governor David Paterson is looking to set his own record. He's proposed the largest cut ever to homeless services by any governor in New York history.
A staggering 39,200 people will bed down tonight in NYC's emergency shelter system - that includes a record 10,000 homeless families. Against this backdrop, Governor Paterson's budget proposes to slash $104 million from adult shelters, prevention services and permanent housing. These cuts are exactly the wrong move at the wrong time and will plunge New York deeper into crisis by increasing homelessness and quite possibly forcing thousands out of the shelters and into the streets.
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A staggering 39,200 people will bed down tonight in NYC's emergency shelter system - that includes a record 10,000 homeless families. Against this backdrop, Governor Paterson's budget proposes to slash $104 million from adult shelters, prevention services and permanent housing. These cuts are exactly the wrong move at the wrong time and will plunge New York deeper into crisis by increasing homelessness and quite possibly forcing thousands out of the shelters and into the streets.
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‘Flight From Monticello’: Writing a Fresh Take on Thomas Jefferson’s Darkest Days
Books can spring from a single nugget of information. I was reading a revolutionary war history when I came across a brief reference to the traitor Benedict Arnold's invasion of Virginia while Thomas Jefferson was governor. Five years after writing the Declaration of Independence that helped set the revolutionary war in motion, Jefferson was forced to flee Richmond when it was occupied by Arnold and his men.
Eventually, after other British forces invaded the state, Jefferson took refuge in Charlottesville, only to have to take flight from Monticello. The wound inflicted during this period, Jefferson later wrote, would only be cured by the "all-healing grave."
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Eventually, after other British forces invaded the state, Jefferson took refuge in Charlottesville, only to have to take flight from Monticello. The wound inflicted during this period, Jefferson later wrote, would only be cured by the "all-healing grave."
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At This Year’s Oscars, History was Made Twice
On Sunday, Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win Best Director in the Academy Awards' 82-year history. (A much deserved win, IMHO.) However, not to steal Ms. Bigelow's thunder, we also witnessed another historic first at this year's Oscars: Geoffrey Fletcher, who won Best Adapted Screenplay for Precious, became the first African-American to win an Oscar for screenwriting.
This is no small feat and no small milestone. Over the last 82 years, an impressive roster of black actors and actresses have won Oscars, most of them within the last two decades. Russell Williams II even won back-to-back Oscars for his work as a sound mixer. But until this year, we've yet to see an African-American screenwriter take home the gold. (No African-American has ever won the Oscar for Best Director, a fact I'm sure both Lee Daniels and Spike Lee are acutely aware of.)
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This is no small feat and no small milestone. Over the last 82 years, an impressive roster of black actors and actresses have won Oscars, most of them within the last two decades. Russell Williams II even won back-to-back Oscars for his work as a sound mixer. But until this year, we've yet to see an African-American screenwriter take home the gold. (No African-American has ever won the Oscar for Best Director, a fact I'm sure both Lee Daniels and Spike Lee are acutely aware of.)
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March 8, 2010
Televised Political Debates Dumb Down Democracy
For the first time in its history, Britain's general election this year will be preceded by televised debates. We have quite simply never done it before.
But in the run-up to the debates, I am struck by the way there seems to be a consensus that the debates will do wonders to revitalise interest in British democracy, which has been ailing for decades now. Everyone seems to agree that the debates are a good thing.
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But in the run-up to the debates, I am struck by the way there seems to be a consensus that the debates will do wonders to revitalise interest in British democracy, which has been ailing for decades now. Everyone seems to agree that the debates are a good thing.
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March 5, 2010
Taking Black History Month Beyond February
Now that February is over and Black History Month has ended, how soon will it be before the celebrations end? I'm not trying to stir anything up, but it seems that once Black History Month is over, there go the programs honoring our ancestors. There go the many lessons taught to our children in school about individuals who made a difference. There goes the support from major corporations that underwrite such programs. The Black history books are put on the shelf until next February. Our history and the celebration of it are once again pigeonholed into one month. And who do we have to blame but ourselves?
Every year during the month of February we pause to pay homage to the many heroes, heroines and pioneers whose shoulders on which we all stand. You've heard the running joke before; the reason Black History is celebrated during the month of February is because it's the shortest month of the year! (In fact, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who launched Negro History Week in 1926 to bring national awareness to the contributions of African-Americans, chose February because Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were both born in that month.)
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Every year during the month of February we pause to pay homage to the many heroes, heroines and pioneers whose shoulders on which we all stand. You've heard the running joke before; the reason Black History is celebrated during the month of February is because it's the shortest month of the year! (In fact, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who launched Negro History Week in 1926 to bring national awareness to the contributions of African-Americans, chose February because Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were both born in that month.)
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Planet 100’s Worst Gas Guzzling Cars (VIDEO)
On this week's Planet 100, in honor of news that the hummer is being discontinued, host Sarah Backhouse counts down the worst gas guzzling dinosaur cars in history. We can't say that we are sorry to see these oil-guzzlers go!
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