links for 2008-09-23

"The wealth loss is staggering: People of color have collectively lost between "$164 billion to $213 billion over the past eight years," with Latinos losing slightly more than African Americans. For the average American, wealth is passed on through the value of homes. That dream, as the report concludes, has been largely foreclosed. "

"Watch, as I defeat this faulty logic in but two sentences! Fighting against segregation means that you’re in favor of personal freedom, which is what Rosa Parks wanted. Fighting for segregation means that you’re against personal freedom, which is the opposite of what Rosa Parks wanted."

"From this little synopsis it would seem that children would gain a lot of positives from viewing this movie. They would learn about the need to stand up for personal beliefs, the interdependency cycle of the environment, as well as the importance of agency and autonomy. Not bad for a DreamWorks flick…That is until you realize that what they mean by human is white. That is right, all of the main characters that are not bees are white."

"The term “uppity” was applied to affluent black people, who sometimes paid a horrific price for owning nicer homes, cars or more successful businesses than whites. Race-based wealth envy was a common trigger for burnings, lynchings and cataclysmic episodes of violence like the Tulsa race riot of 1921, in which a white mob nearly eradicated the prosperous black community of Greenwood."

"Alaska’s population is 15.4 percent Alaska Native or Native American — the largest percentage of any U.S. state. That’s relevant to a discussion on women’s issues for a few big reasons. The rate of rape and sexual assault among Indian women is 3.5 times higher than among women of any other racial group in America. In addition, sexual assault victims in Indian country frequently lack access to basic health resources, including rape kits and screening for sexually transmitted diseases."

"Fernando C' de Baca, who heads the GOP in Bernalillo County, was quoted by BBC reporter Jon Kelly on Friday as saying that even though the polls show Barack Obama with a substantial lead over John McCain among Hispanic voters, "The truth is that Hispanics came here as conquerors. African-Americans came here as slaves. … Hispanics consider themselves above blacks. They won't vote for a black president.""

"Summary: On September 18, Fox News' Neil Cavuto conflated giving home mortgages to minorities with risky lending practices, suggesting that there should have been "a clarion call that said, 'Fannie and Freddie are a disaster. Loaning to minorities and risky folks is a disaster.' "

"A good woman is so hard to find. That's why 40-year-old Bishop Thomas Weeks, who was left by his last wife, televangelist Juanita Bynum, after he, uh, beat her up in a parking lot, has taken to his Web site to find himself a new wife."