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Saggy Pants, Talking White and the Obama Bully Pulpit
By Mark Anthony Neal, PhDOne of the more interesting aspects of the Obama presidency thus far, has been the focus placed on some of the more mundane aspects of Black life in America. Simple gestures by the President and the First Lady, such as the fist pound and the bearing of bare arms have become obsessions for journalists and pundits. Nowhere has this been more pronounced than with the reaction to President Obama’s oft-cited complaint about young black men and their saggy pants and Michele Obama’s recent reflection about childhood friends who accused her of “talking white.” What passes as simple curiosity about a very popular elected official, I suspect has more sinister aims, when considered within the context of popular pronouncements like “no more excuses” in the aftermath of President Obama’s election. Thus casual commentary from the President and the First Lady serve as a bully pulpit for those desiring to police the lives and culture of Black Americans.
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President Obama’s Urban Agenda: Useful Models from Baltimore
By Walter C. Farrell, Jr., PhDThrough the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, President Barack Obama has made a personal and financial commitment to revitalize our distressed urban centers, as part of his broader goal to stimulate the economy. He has appointed a White House Director of Urban Affairs, who will report directly to the Oval Office, to focus on urban problems like a laser beam.
During the past five years, I have visited major cities in every region of the country, searching for successful and innovative programs that have been developed to address the social and educational crisis that is enveloping minority males (low K-12 educational achievement and graduation rates, declining participation in higher education, increasing rates of homicide and gang violence, and high levels of incarceration and recidivism) which have reached epidemic proportions.
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Does Michael Steele Have the Worst Job in America?
By Bill ChristoffersonMichael Steele just might have the toughest job in America.
Yes, President Barack Obama has a pretty full plate, what with the economy, two or more wars, a health care system badly in need of repair, an educational system that doesn't work so well either, and several thousand other issues ranging from gays in the military to climate change.
But, for the most part, President Obama tackles that formidable agenda with the support and good wishes of the American people -- not every last one of them, of course, but a solid majority. A few, like radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh say they want him to fail, but even most of them are not saying it publicly. (More on Limbaugh later.)
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AIDs Is Our Problem and We’d Better Deal With It!
ByAfrican Americans have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS since the epidemic’s beginning, and that disparity has deepened over time.
Blacks account for more HIV and AIDS cases, people estimated to be living with AIDS, and HIV-related deaths than any other racial/ethnic group in the U.S. The epidemic has also had a disproportionate impact on Black women, youth, and men who have sex with men, and its impact varies across the country.
Moreover, Blacks with HIV/AIDS may face greater barriers to accessing care than their white counterparts.
Today, there are approximately 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S, including more than 500,000 who are Black. Analysis of national household survey data found that more than 2% of Blacks in the U.S. were HIV positive, higher than any other group.
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Open Letter to Black Men
ByDear Husband, Father, Brother, Uncle, Grandpa, Son:
We need you!
We know that it may seem like the world is against you and you seemingly have little power to change the plight of your future.
But the truth is, you do have power! You have the power to take control of your health.
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