Uptown Notes

This Black History Month is flying by me, but I’m trying to make some Black History of my own, so forgive my absence. A couple things have come across my desk that I gotta mention. First, the Nation has an EXCELLENT piece on White History. Originally I had planned to do a whole series on White History during the month of February for the haters of BHM. As always, time kept slipping and I didn’t get around to it, but you should read this piece. One of my favorite excerpts,

. That’s because so much of Black History Month takes place in the passive voice. Leaders “get assassinated,” patrons “are refused” service, women “are ejected” from public transport. So the objects of racism are many but the subjects few. In removing the instigators, the historians remove the agency and, in the final reckoning, the historical responsibility.

On the Native front,two important things went down recently. The budget for the Urban Indian health program has been cut AGAIN! This has real consequences, check it out and contact your local elected official about this cut.

On the more symbolic front (kinda), Chief Illinwek is dead. Finally.