by: Alenda Calderbank As a kid, Columbus Day was a welcome day off from school a month into the school year. As the leaves shined bright orange against the crisp blue sky and we heard the familiar sound of rustling leaves, we recited the familiar children’s poem that helped us remember the year Columbus… Continue reading Columbus: Tall Tales, and Dark Realities
Tag: marginalization
Watching the Playbook Play Out
Well, here we are again. Another late-night Board of Education meeting in Newtown with more parents in attendance and more passionate speeches about the protection of First Amendment rights, the importance of representation in literature, and the ability to handle more mature material by high school aged students. I went into this meeting incredibly jaded,… Continue reading Watching the Playbook Play Out
Fear and White Supremacy
By: Lee Shull The past few weeks in America have been unsettling. Mass shootings, related protests, the silencing of voices, racist expulsions (during Holy Week), and reinstatements into the Tennessee State House. Followed by two more mass shootings in Louisville, a shooting within miles and at the same time as a bank mass shooting, a… Continue reading Fear and White Supremacy
“Why Is It Always About Race?” Why It’s Important to Note Black Americans and Their Contributions in History.
A new barrier was broken on Sunday, February 12th. Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles faced each other as the starting quarterbacks of their respective teams. This was the first time ever in the history of the Super Bowl where both men were Black. Along with the… Continue reading “Why Is It Always About Race?” Why It’s Important to Note Black Americans and Their Contributions in History.
The Most Marginalized of the Marginalized
June is Pride Month and rainbow flags are everywhere. That’s a good thing, right? While LGBTQ Americans still face far too much discrimination, they are more visible than ever before. Few of us give it a second thought when we learn that a neighbor, friend, or family member is gay. We attend same sex weddings,… Continue reading The Most Marginalized of the Marginalized
Examine Your Narrative
When Linda, a white woman from Newtown, CT, was sixteen years old she walked to the local mall and back with another teenaged girl from her neighborhood. On the way back, the young woman leaned over and said, “don’t look now, but there’s a Black man following us, and I think he wants to rape… Continue reading Examine Your Narrative
Racism and People Like Me
I have watched Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow’s floor speech to her fellow senators at least five times. Initially I thought her comments were crafted for an audience of one: The colleague who publicly accused her of trying to “groom and sexualize” young children and to make them feel responsible for slavery. Sen. McMorrow certainly… Continue reading Racism and People Like Me