Uptown Notes

Today, in EST, Arnold was selected as governor of California and Proposition 54 died a slow death. But most importantly, if you didn’t think this was a political fiasco, you should! Gary Coleman managed to capture 12,518 votes!

On a much more sad note, the men (police officers) charged with killing Steve Biko, the South African freedom fighter, will not be going on trial for murder! Justice delayed is justice denied.

Last year, the Stern school of Business at NYU was bombarded with racist emails. One of my friends recieved some of his messages and forwarded it on to me, maybe if I find it I’ll link it up here later. A Tennessean, Scott Bain, was arrested for these hate emails.

And out of the world of randomness, I find a story about race in Brazil in higher education. Just an interesting little read.

There is also a rather confusing editorial in the Daily today by Jeff Cravens. He is questioning the university’s “blind pursuit of diversity.” I think he is trying to make multiple points, but it just doesn’t come out right, read it if you want to.

On a local issue, Michael Moore’s appearance on the 12th is apparently “sold out.” Dang, don’t sleep, people are on their stuff at U of M.

I’ll soon be updating the political corner, give me a few days. You’ll be able to change the world from the comfort of your home, or coffee shop, or computer lab, or library … okay you’ll be able to change it from a computer hooked up to the internet!

So there’s a bunch of the stuff that I want to get out to people. Here goes:

On Sunday, October 12, Michael Moore (of Bowling for Columbine and Stupid White Men Fame) will be coming to U of M to speak on his new book, Dude, Where’s My Country?. The talk is sponsored by Anti-War Action and will hopefully get a decent turn out despite its near fall break date. Tickets are free and are available through MUTO.

If you can’t make it to the Moore’s talk on the 12th, you can catch Moore at EMU on Halloween. This talk is also a ticketed event, so make sure to get in on this early!

This Thursday at 7pm, the first meeting of Moment will occur in the English Department Conference Room (3222 Angell Hall). Below there is an excerpt from an email sent out by Moment:

“We have called this meeting in response to three trends; namely the

absence of an alternative press, the renewal of right-wing aggression

around the world, and the fragmentation of the forces that seek universal

justice and fight against oppression and exploitation. It is in these

times of both necessity and opportunity that the unity of such forces is

at its most urgent. It is in the spirit of urgency and hope that Moment

is proud to issue this call to action.”

Today at 4pm in the Michigan Theatre, the premiere screening of “Campus Diversity, Student Voices.” The documentary explores student reactions to and understandings of diversity. Ernest Mejia coordinated this film and you may have seen him and his crew around campus last year.

Also, in news of the ridiculous, Ghettopoly a new game sold at Urban Outfitters is making some waves because of its stereotype heavy format. The creator of the game, David Chang, has not been receptive to criticisms of the game’s stereotypes offensive nature. Ah, the free market where ideas are exchanged openly…

This is week is National Coming Out Week. A host of events are planned for this week, though so far the only decent listing is in this Daily article. If there is a different site that is sponsored by the NCOW folks, I’ll link that when I find it or it get forwarded to me. Come out and support (pun intended)!

Be on the look out on ways to become involved with National Take Affirmative Action Day (NTAAD) which is coming up October 30th.

Sha’ Duncan, of the Multi Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA) office, has announced the formation of the Black Programming Task Force. The task force’s purpose is, “to identify educational and social justice programming needs in the community. It will fill the void if programming does not exist to target specific issues in the Black Community and it will help to promote and support existing efforts that are already present in the Community.”

Applications (portfolios) are accepted until October 15th. For more details, contact Sha’ Ducan at tesdun@umich.edu.

7 whole days… and not a word… yeah, my bad. So let’s get it!

The Michigan Daily has been on a diversity frenzy over the past week. The Daily attempts to be “fair and balanced”(tm) by presenting opposing stories other emerging Michigan Ballot Intiative sponsored by Wardell Connerly. The pro-piece ran on Wednesday, while the con piece ran on Tuesday. Well, I will pretty much bet that Connerly gets the necessary signatures, so what is the next step?

The Daily also runs a piece today on the Honors Program’s lack of diversity. I was really interested in Ruben Duran’s comment:

“That was the University’s entire argument, that racial diversity is beneficial to the academic experience. If that’s what the University believes and it’s not extended to all its programs, then the University’s failing itself. If the belief is that true diversity is diversity of ideas, then it’s not,” said Ruben Duran, LSA senior and editor in chief of the Michigan Review.”

Great, now maybe Ruben Duran supports Affirmative Action too! LOL!!!

On a bright note, a heart warming story from Colorado (yeah, I was suprised too ;), where students organized … not a rally, but a bake sale to keep a sistah in school!

There is a lot more to add, but I gotta Run like DM C ya later!

So I’m gonna go international to national to local, let’s go!

Yesterday, Amina Lawal’s sentence on death by stoning was overturned!!! While the reasons for the overturn are not the greatest, it is good to see her go free and able to continue her life!

Nationally, there is a really … strange collaboration between the WWE (formally the WWF) and Russell Simmons’ Hip Hop Summit Action Network.They are teaming up to do a voter registration drive! The campaign, “2 million more in 2004,” will pair the two entertainment giants to attempt to get voters in the 18-30 bracket out to vote. I guess it could be good ;)

Locally, Dustin Seibert’s editorial in yesterday’s Michigan Daily illuminates the incorrect information in Jim Trout’s editorial. Of course, in traditional Dustin style, he gets a couple of jabs in at the general population. Here’s one of my favorite excerpts

Though (hopefully) all of the upperclassmen of the University know that Trout’s son didn’t know what the bloody hell he was talking about when he made that glaring, obviously uneducated mistake in telling that to his dad, I can still imagine some encouragable freshman with a snot bubble coming out of his nose reading the response and jumping to that ridiculous conclusion that there would actually be a lounge in a University reserved exclusively for one ethnicity.

Tomorrow, leaders within the the Black community will convene to further discuss the state of Black folks at U of M.

Today’s Daily runs an editorial by a number of White U of M students that challenges Johanna Hanink’s editorial (9/22/03) and its unwitting espousal of white privilege. Now what are the chances this is the only anti-Hanink letter? Does the editorial desk have a policy about inclusion of pieces from a diversity of perspectives?

Cali folks, you’re voting on October 7th, again! The ninth court of appeals just ruled that the recall election and Prop 54 will be voted on the 7th as originally planned. With that said, once again, the absentee ballot information for Cali folks can be found here!

In the world of higher education, it is always amazes me how vocal and informative people can be. It is more amazing how vocal and wrong people can be. A perfect case is an editorial by U of M alum parent- Jim Trout. The letter states,

” We strolled thru his dorm and came to a large, nicely decorated room labeled “African-American Lounge.” I asked my son if anyone else was welcome there. He told me that the lounge was only for African Americans, thus the sign.”

Let me say, I am really impressed that Jim Trout would have such a memory of the lounge that exists in South Quad, also known as the Ambatanaa Lounge, but I am saddened to realize that for 13 years (his son graduated in 94) he has carried the incorrect information that this lounge, notably that is for only African-American students. Find out what these lounges are really about here.

When it rains, it pours (literally today). The Ann Arbor news highlights a poll by WDIV and Mitchell Polls that suggest 52% of people polled favor a ban on affirmative action in the state of Michigan.Unfortunately, I cannot find the original article online right now, but when I find it I’ll post it later with more details. The article does not give the original question, nor the margin of error, which would be 2 good things to provide. Just food for thought!

Update: Still didn’t find the Ann Arbor News story, but I was kindly forwarded the Detroit News story. The story outlines that there were 600 respondents for the state, which is pretty small sample size and the margin of error is 4%, which essentially means the results are basically a wash. This story also doesn’t give the exact question, Carol Swain in America Becoming gives a detailed analysis of why survey question wording has a dramatic effect on responses with questions about Affirmative Action. Also, these polls are conducted with people’s gut feelings, to take this as predictive of voting patterns would suggest that lobbying and information campaigns have no effect.

Have you ever heard the expression, “Who pissed in your Cheerios?” This morning Johanna Hanink of the Michigan Daily pissed in my and every other person of color’s Cheerios! Early yesterday morning, about 1am, I was thrilled to announce that the Daily had placed it bylaws online. Now at 8:30 this morning, I am greeted with a column entitled ‘Members-only’ diversity. The column, in a nutshell indicts “minorities” for being exclusive and provides incorrect examples of exclusion of Whites allegedly perpetrated by “minorities” at U of M. She offers her own challenge,

As a white-as-white-can-be student who can date her European ancestors’ arrival in the United States to the 1690s, it is admittedly difficult sometimes – and very probably impossible – to always fully understand what is at stake in students of color’s issues. This doesn’t mean that I don’t want to or don’t try – I want an explanation. If you have one, please send it.”

So, what are we/you gonna say?? Still think it doesn’t involve you?

****Note: The Daily’s site seems to be pretty slow right now. You can also try to get to it directly via the Daily’s homepage, but I’m not sure if that will help.****