By Guest Contributor Andrew Grant-Thomas, originally published at RaceTalk.org

What a long, strange year it’s been.
A year that began with the loud insistence by some that Barack Obama’s election confirmed the United States as an essentially colorblind, post-racial nation went on to present a series of spectacular counterpoints to that claim – flaps over Attorney General [...]

by Guest Contributor Aymar Jean Christian, originally published at Televisual

Get ready for reason #573 why The Wire was the best television show of the aughts. In the wake of Scott Brown’s upset in the Massachusetts special election for the U.S. Senate, I’ve been thinking a lot about the cycle of politics. I’ve been a pretty [...]

by Guest Contributor Jenn, originally published at Reappropriate
[October 14th] was a very big day for America’s Asian American and Pacific Islander community. In conjunction with a Diwali celebration, President Obama signed an executive order that reestablished an advisory committee and a White House initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders. The advisory committee was first [...]

by Latoya Peterson
From the Politico:
Racism is not a factor driving conservative opposition to President Barack Obama, according to the results of focus groups conducted by Democracy Corps, a Democratic organization, released on Friday. [...]
Rather than attributing their dislike of Obama to race, participants in the focus groups, which were a project of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner [...]

by Special Correspondent Wendi Muse
I recall hearing once that success is where preparation and opportunity meet. Apparently this expression is not suited for the President of the United States. Obama’s moments of success in office, according to some, are occurring simply because he is, well, black and lucky . . . just like Felix the [...]

By Guest Contributor Tami, originally published at What Tami Said

As the nation’s first black president settles into the office, a division is deepening between two groups of African Americans: those who want to continue to praise Obama and his historic ascendancy, and those who want to examine him more critically now that the election is [...]

by Latoya Peterson and Carmen Van Kerckhove
Welcome to “We’re So Post Racial,” a reoccurring feature that looks at racism aimed toward The White House.
In today’s edition, we have a double. The first, following on the heels of the NY Post controversy is a creatively rearranged storefront:

According to the Defenders Online:

Yes the photo [...]

Excerpted by Latoya Peterson

I would like to congratulate Barack Obama on ascending to the pinnacle of American politics and public stature. Now, a friend asked if I was watching the parade for the new president. I told him “sentimentality and symbolism are not my favorite things, so I don’t enjoy watching them on full blast.” [...]

by Carmen Van Kerckhove
When I first moved to the U.S. and people asked me why my last name was Van Kerckhove, I would go into the whole explanation about how my mom is Hong Kong Chinese and my dad is Belgian. After I answered the question in detail, inevitably people would reply: “Oh. So you’re [...]

by Racialicious special correspondent Wendi Muse, originally published at The Coup Magazine (blog)
In light of Reverend Wright’s speech, which you can view in full via the post below, Washington Post guest columnist Jacques Berlinerblau, the program director and associate professor of Jewish Civilization at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University [...]

by Carmen Van Kerckhove
This email has been making its rounds, apparently. Disgusting. From Snopes via Rachel’s Tavern.

by Carmen Van Kerckhove
The Los Angeles Times has a story today on whether Obama’s speech will be able to change the way this country talks about race.
I spent some time on the phone with the reporter as well, giving my views. Here are a few excerpts:
In his recent address on race relations in America — [...]

by guest contributor Tami, originally published at What Tami Said
Last week I wrote about the furor surrounding Michelle Obama’s comments about being proud of her country. Some folks just don’t understand how one could not be proud of the United States of America. Luckily, Bill O’Reilly, that paragon of journalistic virtue, is reserving his judgement. [...]

by Racialicious Special Correspondent Latoya Peterson

Alternet – Hillary Clinton’s Superdelegate “Firewall”
Al Gore’s 2000 campaign manager and superdelegate Donna Brazile describes the essence of this elitist practice. “One person, one vote? Forget about it. Some votes are worth more than others. You have to know the rules.”
[...]
Tom Foreman of CNN.com provides a super brief history of [...]

by guest contributor Jenn Fang, originally published at Reappropriate
On Friday night I just happened to turn CNN on, and heard something I really though I would never have heard before. Anderson Cooper was telling his viewers to stick around for a segment on (gasp!) “The Asian American Vote”. We exist!
I dutifully waited about a half-hour [...]