Class Warfare or Twighlight Zone??

I was blown away at the audacity that the house speaker categorized President Obama’s leadership by stating the President is inciting class warfare when presenting his plan to create jobs and balance the budget.  Maybe Mr. Speaker needs to look up the definition of "class warfare".  The formal definition based on the several societal domains is as follows:

“The phrase "class warfare" refers to the conflicts of interest that arise within every society when a wealthy economic elite arises and exploits its economic advantages so as to obtain still greater wealth and/or political power for itself.”

Get a clue Mr. Speaker; it is just simple math...M  A  T  H! I am sure you were awake in your math and spelling class at least one would hope!  Maybe you need a calculator in order to figure out that the formula that is currently in existence DOES NOT WORK Duhhh!!

Billionaires Buffett and Gates among other mega rich in this country say "Tax Us More"! Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, said that the rich should be paying more taxes and that the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy should be buried at the end of December when they finally expire.


"If anything, taxes for the lower and middle class and maybe even the upper middle class should even probably be cut further," Buffett said. "But I think that people at the high end -- people like myself -- should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we've ever had it."

Knock, Knock anyome home? Bottom line...the wealthy should not be taxed less than their secretaries, gardeners and wait staff!

Today in Black History for September 7th

1.  1957 - Ghana breaks colonialistic mold.

On this day, Ghana becomes a free self-governing nation. This country will be the first of the British Commonwealth of Nations to be self-governing.

2.  1954 - The start of Integration for MD public schools, and Washington DC public school,

The start of Integration for MD public schools, and Washington DC public school, 1954

3.  1930 - Greatness is born

In 1930, Sonny Rollins, a powerful force in jazz, is born.

4.  1859 - Co-organizer of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, John Merrick was b

Co-organizer of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, John Merrick was born

5.  1800 - Zion AME Church dedicated in New York City

Zion AME Church dedicated in New York City.

Family Group Decision Making - Making a Difference in Disproportionality

This may appear to be a dry subject matter but it is well worth reading. I have worked for a government child welfare agency for over two decades; one could say that I grew up in the child welfare field. I began my journey of cultural awareness and self identity over five years ago. Fast forward to 2010 I now became involved in the agency’s  plan to reduce the percentage of the African American children who are in foster care at disproportionate rates, not just in my state but this phenomenon has been playing out throughout the country for years. The two most affected communities are Native Americans and African American children, with the Hispanic population fast approaching the mark. Historically the child welfare system was not designed to serve people of color therefore; the outcomes reflect a continuation of white cultural values which permeate institutions, policies, and programs. For over a year I have provided the planning committee information and perspectives of a white person on how best to move forward regarding changing the work environment.   However, there was something I could do then and there to assist programmatically. Because I am a unit manager of two in-home programs, I began facilitating change from the onset by modifying the FGDM practice to be more culturally responsive than orignally planned. I also implemented into the assessment process a section specifically exploring every family's right to self identify their race and/or culture.

One of the African American’s community legacies is family. Charles Waite writes, “The most enduring cultural strength that Black African brought with them from the African continent was the extended family and its strong kinship networks.” 

 Now for a moment a comparison of the Maori people of New Zealand will be made to the African and Native American communities here in the US. The Maori tribal people are rich in family tradition, culture, and history. Family Group Conferencing was developed by a group of social workers from New Zealand one whose name is Mike Doolan (above video) along with the Maori people, in response to the disproportionate number of Maori children placed in the foster care system in the early 1980‘s. The Maori people became vocal in their loss of their children’s cultural identity, values, beliefs, and traditions. Mr. Doolan and his colleagues believed that the Maori people knew their families best and could plan for their children’s future hence, Family Group Conferencing (Decision Making) was born. Mr. Doolan provided insight into the development of this practice as well as, the need to maintain fidelity to the model. In the simplest terms, FGDM is a meeting that is family driven, child centered and culturally sensitive. The family agrees to a meeting and assists in developing the actual purpose of the meeting, invitation list, and meal planning. The family is not restricted  and are encouraged to invite family and  whom ever the family considers as a resource, can be invited such as the pastor of their church, baseball coach or a close neighbor. This concept is known as “widening the circle” of supports. Strength, and concerns for the family are presented at the meeting and then the family adjourns into what is referred to as “family private time. A meal is shared and the family develops a plan for the child which addresses the agency’s concerns.

The FGDM practice began to leave out the family's cultural traditions from the actual meeting. In addition I thought from the very first meeting with the family, cultural issues should be explored rather than glossed over. My strategies continue to be implemented and modified as needed, to ensure that the family is operating based upon their cultural family belief system. The cultural factors should not be secondary considerations but rather primary in order to facilitate the change needed. We still have a ways to go because to my mind, this is not a one shot deal!

Currently, I am exploring the potential in integrating an Afro centric intergenerational model with the FGDM practice. I am anticipating the introduction of a new and improved FGDM model to community chuches and faith based organizations by the end of 2013. Stay tuned!

MLK's Message . . .Take a Seat at the Table???

Once again I have learned to view my perspective from a diverse, cultural  lens.  I think it is a true testament to  Martin Luther King's life and work to have Dr. King’s message of brotherhood created from economic and social justice, memorialized and celebrated through the creation of the Martin Luther King Monument in Washington, D. C.  But then I stumbled over an article by L. Arthalia Cravin. Although she  voiced her excitement regarding the MLK project, her observation of the television commercial advertising the monument's dedication was profound in my humble opinion.


Ms. Cravin eloquently described her initial thoughts and warned   "we should be very careful that Dr. King’s true message of brotherhood is not glossed over in favor of pomp and circumstance".                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                     The reason for this warning, was upon Ms. Cravin's initial viewing of the commercial advertising the gala celebration, she noticed empty plates adorning the long table as the words of Dr. King were spoken of his dream of the “former sons of slaves and the former sons of slave owners” sitting together at the "table of brotherhood”.


                                      and empty plates...


Ms. Cravin speaks about the growing economic disparities and social conditions for Black America. How can different people from different walks of life sit at the same table if the portions of food are so vastly different, how does this signify true brotherhood? 


You can read Ms. Cravin's message in it's entirety at http://blackamarillo.us/wp2/?p=6348

Immigrants Travel on the Orphan Trains to Children of Color Lingering in Foster Care

      

          From the English Poor Laws and workhouses to the United States, Charles Brace the founder of the Children’s Aid Society had well meaning intentions when he thought of a new idea to save poor children. From the mid 1800’s to approximately the 1930’s, as many as 200,000 destitute, white immigrant children were taken from the streets of New York or from overcrowed orphanages and brought to Midwestern towns by train in order to find farm families  for the now orphaned children.  Although some children found good homes, others were placed into indentured servant status. Many were victims of severe abuse and/or neglect. Finally all of the children’s ties to their biological families were torn and severed, records were not maintained and their heritage was lost in time. The Orphan Train phenomenon evolved into the development of the formal adoption, foster care laws and child welfare practices in the United States.

       Throughout history it appears that a family’s socioeconomic status has been one of many variables that has impacted and is factored into the decision making process regarding risk for abuse and/or neglect of minor children.  What happened to the African American children during the Orphan Train tragedy timeline?  Of course they were denied any services at all.   However, unbeknownst to this newly freed community of people, being excluded from child welfare services may have been a blessing considering what was about to happen to their community and family structure  in the years to come. Up until the 1930's or so, the African American community cared for their own children whether they were blood related or not.  During the Roosevelt era the Federal government began funding the states to enlarge the child welfare system.

Now that  Federal dollars were being used, the US Constitution needed to be adhered to and states could not discriminate based on…..you got it, Race.

So now the states had to be inclusive of the African American Community and their children when delivering foster care services. In addition, AFDC benefits which were originally legislated for white mothers whose husbands were serving in the military during war time, was built on the foundation of male exclusion in the home in order to be eligible, collect and maintain these government benefits.  AFDC benefits/requirements coupled with the child welfare system's service inclusion of the African American community, resulted in the current disproportionate numbers of children of color, most notably African American and Native American children, lingering in the foster care system.   

Similar to Charles Brace, contemporary child welfare assessment decisions are made based on the caseworkers and social workers sincere and good intentions however, they are based on laws and policies of an institutional structure where racism is embedded in the cemented foundation of this child welfare system.

So how do we derail this runaway train??? 

“And the Winner is … ”

My 18 year old son somehow convinced me to watch the move “Predators” the other night. Although I found this science fiction movie to be action packed with some decent special effects, for my taste, there was way too much testosterone gone bad!  In any event, as Joseph and I continued to watch the story unfold, my son said to me “I bet you anything Mom that the African American dude gets killed first”   “No Way” I replied. I was astounded by this assumption because I think that Mahershalalhashbaz Ali as Mombasa, is not only awesome for the part, but he is damn good lookin’ to boot! Well I was right, it was an American Mexican who was killed first, Dan Trejo... so there!

Whoops, not more than a few minutes latter BAM, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali was skewed like a shish-kabob!

So here I thought I found out this hidden little industry secret. As soon as I went to work I tracked down an African American friend/mentor, (I’ll call her MW) whom I admire and anxiously told her of my new found revelation!  New…Hmmm, I don’t think so as she chuckled as she repeated to me that the Black actors who are not box office wonders, usually get killed first or soon there after.  Well thanks MW, there goes my new found theory! But in all seriousness, I am glad that I learned just one more fact that validates how racism is so embedded in our societal culture, that it has become second nature when refuting the possibility that this still occurs, and is a constant reminder of how much more work we need to actually do!!

If you are a Black actor but you are not a big headliner like Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Laurence Fishburne, Morgan Freeman, and Samuel L. Jackson to name a few, there are three elementary questions one should asked themselves before watching a movie, during and up until the movie credits.                                                                       

1. Does the Black actor die first?

2. If not, how soon does he/she die?

3. Can a Black person ever make it to the credits?

Oh yeah, I would like butter on my popcorn too please!

Why Isn't the U.S. Supporting The United Nations International Year for People of African Descent

Why must I always access Australia's news media to find out what is going on here in my own country, The United States of America? I stumbled on to the fact that in January 2011 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the year beginning January 1st, 2011 as the International Year for People of African Descent. Where was I when the memo came out!

In short this year was dedicated to the People of African Descent in promoting and protecting their Human Rights as well as their ability to participate in the full enjoyment of economic, cultural, social, civil and political rights. What I found to be absolutely ludicrous is the fact that Australia was not directly involved as America was, in the forceful removal of people from Africa in the Trans - Atlantic slave trade. However because Australia has welcomed the people of African descent to make Australia their home, the Australian government has taken their responsibility to their countrymen seriously, they have joined the United Nations in protecting the rights and in the promotion of a greater knowledge of and respect for the diverse heritage of the People of African descent!

Has the United States joined the United Nations in this effort....I am afraid NOT! House Bill H.RES.41 was introduced on Jan. 19, 2011 coincidentally Martin Luther King’s Birthday and the last time there was any activity on the bill was in March 1, 2011 when the bill was  referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights. We as a country are suppose to be a leader around the world?

 We cannot even "Do the Right Thing" here, at home, for our own people. What a sad commentary that is for the supposed UNITED States of America.

Drug Sentencing Disparities...Why?

African Americans account for 80% of crack cocaine convictions …YES 80%!!  Article after article you read that "there are no quick fixes", "no easy answers" and "these issues are being addressed". Why aren't there any quick fixes? Address it now, fix it and be done with it. I'm sure if the issue involved a rich white man's son there would not be decades of "addressing the issues"! By remedying this situation I am sure this will cause a decrease in revenue for the Criminal Justice system and the drug and alcohol treatment facilities and whoever else profits from this racist process. What is it then? We all know that is boils down to the almighty dollar...but I want to know whose dollar is paying for racial and socioeconomic oppression?? Whose? We all know whose money is financing this practice but please do not continue to insult my intelligence, forget the politically correct jargon and just tell me to my face...I didn't think so!

Several months ago I was outraged when I found out about the different criminal sentence structures that were in place for powdered cocaine and crack cocaine. For example, if a person possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams of crack he or she faced a ten year mandatory minimum sentence. On the other hand, a person had to possess with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms of powder to face the same ten year mandatory minimum sentence!! In 2010, President Obama signed a bill that will increase the possession amount of crack cocaine that will call for the mandatory sentence. Now a person must possess 280 grams of crack (instead of the 5 grams) to face the mandatory minimum sentence. However, there are 1,000 grams in 1 kilogram of powder cocaine.

Although progress has been made, is this enough? The issues are that crack cocaine's weight is obviously heavier than the powder and most importantly crack is sold and used in predominantly lower socioeconomically disadvantage neighborhoods which equates to poverty and minority oppression!

Why not lower the weight of the powder cocaine minimum? Do we need it to be 1 kilo? Why not 1/2 a kilo??  Okkk, great the disparity gap is closing in but what about the remaining sentencing disparities that still exist for the young African American men? African-Americans make up around 12 percent of the U.S. population, account for 33.6 percent of drug arrests and 37 percent of state prison inmates serving time for drug offenses. Yet there are no differences in drug use between whites and blacks! The US incarceration rate is five times as high as the rest of the world!

What the hell is going on & why do we ignore this injustice?

 

Ann Coulter's Racist Venom

For several years now, I have detested the vile verbiage which Ann Coulter spews. From her personal attack of a disabled veteran, homosexuals, minorities, economically disadvantaged and anyone that does not support delusional rhetoric appears to go far beyond one's personal political beliefs and moves directly into the sphere of progressive mental deterioration of a narcissist!   Ann Coulter's behavior presents on the surface as if to be inflexible, maladaptive, and antisocial, which reveals a person of non interest to both liberals and conservatives alike. Coulter's perception of reality and how she fits into the world is distorted at best!

Coulter has the audacity to criticize the historical events surrounding the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King, by discrediting a cultural history and the racial experiences that are not hers! She also uses the words of Thurgood Marshall in an effort to back up her theory on Rev. King. Without belaboring the issues, simple put, Coulter needs to be educated on the use of symbolism.

Along with the other thousands of illogical remarks Coulter has spewed, Coulter's character assassination geared towards Barack Obama and his book Dreams From My Father is summed up by Coulter as a "Dimestore Mein Kampf".  The uncompassionate and ill willed comments about Japan’s disaster that "radiation is actually good for you", once again  illustrates Coulter's prejudice attacks which she wages against any person or group who does not fit her definition of "WASPS". Obviously from remarks such as these and others, there is a lack of cultural intelligence but even more importantly, among other identifiers her deficiency of any empathy at all, suggests that Coulter harbors narcissistic tendencies rather than Princess Diana whom Coulter labeled as such.

Coulter editorialized parts of President Obama’s book and as always, turns a person’s statement around to fit a personal agenda, no matter what the cost and to whom. The following is Coulter’s rebuttal to Obama's personal observation; "He says the reason black people keep to themselves is that it's 'easier than spending all your time mad or trying to guess whatever it was that white folks were thinking about you.' Here's a little inside scoop about white people: We're not thinking about you. Especially WASPs. We think everybody is inferior, and we are perfectly charming about it."   Ahhhh, charming...NO Coulter, charming is not a word that best describes a person who is attempting to covertly chip away at our fundamental values under the Constitution of the United States. Maybe Coulter did not receive the memo that indeed states that all men are created equal.

As I sit here chuckling at the absurdity that you display, here's a little inside scoop for you Coulter, do not include me or numerous other white Americans into the DSM IV delusional world of hatred! Your behavior communicates nothing more than pathetic bitterness. You demonstrate the actions of a domineering woman with delusions of grandeur, who emasculates all of the men ever involved with and engaged to, like a female praying mantis biting off her males head!

In all seriousness, let's call Coulter's remarks what they are...racist! The bigger question remains; When is enough, enough? How long do we enable and promote these vile racist messages of hatred by interviewing and broadcasting her personal bias to the community at large? We are allowing a person to single handedly turn back the hands of time. Coulter should be arrested, charged and held over for trial for terroristic treason and racial intimidation against the United States of America. Ok, I admit, this idea might be going a little over board. The point being, cultural sensitivity and intelligence also needs to extend into the political and journalism arenas as part of American life.

The bottom line is that Coulter’s reality is not mainstream American reality therefore, endorsing what appears to be radical, racist ill will, has a similar correlation to selling a gun to a mentally disturbed person who sees America in a defensive war like stance and eventually walks into a crowd of innocent people, open fires and takes away the life and liberties of many American citizens who actually earn their right to be an American!

Has anybody seen the snake bite kit?

Mia Michaels

What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? by: Frederick Douglass 1852

     After reading one of the greatest speeches ever given by Frederick Douglass on July 5th, 1852, it gave me pause to think in contemporary terms. Mr. Douglass eloquently conveyed to the President and white citizens of the day, that their fore fathers who drafted the Declaration of Independence, succeeded in attaining their freedoms from Britain and were able to "reap the fruits of their success." For the Black man, these great principles of freedom soon led to the downfall of their slavery! Even today, the Black man continues to be called upon to prove his manhood in order to further define the phase "all men are created equal"  and to access their God given rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness! 
                                                                   
      Comparatively speaking, in 1852 as well as in 2011, anyone who holds value to a belief of the principles of the Bible as well as, the Declaration of Independence, are without a doubt self-righteous if they do not acknowledge the existence of  racial oppression, individual, structural and political racism!  We continue to place blame on the victims as well as, support the distorted opinions regarding the realism of racism by turning a blind eye. What a wonderful way to avoid personal responsibility. We need to raise and hold ourselves to a higher level of personal values and standards in order to contribute to the lives of others. To accomplish this, we must begin by  assessing where we are operating from in respect to our cultural identification.
  
     When will we as a nation, retreat from the process of denial and take ownership for the need to establish policies relevant in viewing man, woman and child based upon their distinct uniqueness and cultural personhood ? This simplistic question generates convoluted opinions which are accepted by mainstream America as absolute truths and in turn, ultimately perpetuates the ongoing cycle of justifiable oppression.

      During the festivities this 4th of July, take a moment to reflect inwardly and begin to examine how you may look at others, as you would wish to be looked upon.  History tells us that in 1776, the first firing of fireworks was to celebrate the separation of the colonies from England and to some, it was a celebration of the "death" of the king's power over them. As you watch the full color spectrum of the fireworks displayed, ponder how interesting life would become if we celebrated the "death" of racism and the power this holds over our country. How wonderful it would be, to possess the ability in realizing all of mankind through the color reflective lens of a multicultural kaleidoscope! 
God Bless America!


http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=162

‘Model Minority’ - Are Stereotypes Harmful? by: Mia Michaels

Stereotyping is basically an overgeneralization about people without the benefit of our factoring in our individual uniqueness. The Asian communities are known for many attributes, one being their dedication, and valuing educational pursuits. Does affixing a label that Asians succeed far better in school a label that has the propensity to be destructive? Does this label communicate the positive qualities of this culture? Can an entire culture possess a similar trait? These are all questions that we must not take for granted. These are issues that all of us must question.


Every cultural population is comprised of varying ethnic groups. Alma R. Clayton-Pederson, vice president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, stated, “The notion of lumping all people into a single category and assuming they have no needs is wrong”.  The New York Times reported that the SAT scores of Asian-Americans are like those of other Americans, they tend to correlate with the income and educational level of their parents.

Stereotyping most definitely can lead to individuals becoming prejudice against another cultural community. I am sure you are asking yourselves how attaching a positive trait to a group can be harmful? In this and other instances, the needs of a particular individual will not be addressed due to the over generalition of the cultural group in which they have membership to. 

I am an Italian American. Although a simplistic example, traditionally, I enjoy Italian ethnic foods however, I am one who finds more pleasure from a meal of seafood dishes. We all need to interact with the individual rather than develop assumptions based upon their cultural community membership. Just like the family we were born into, our cultural community is comprised of very distinctive members who bring uniquely diverse and incomparable qualities to the table, not just spaghetti and meatballs! 

Where Does Cultural Diversity Begin?

Welcome! This blog is an opportunity to expand yours and my world view, together as a team. An opportunity to discover ourselves and the culture that sent messages to us while growing up. A chance to begin looking at others through their cultural lens not through ours!

There are vast and ever changing cultural elements which makes up a society and gaining a working knowledge of these elements is an ongoing process which will ultimately provide a multi-dimensional view of society. Based upon early childhood experiences, I received numerous messages. When I became an employee of a social services agency, and began working with people from a variety of different cultures and from different geographical areas, a shift began to occur. When specific  experiences arose which evoked feelings of anger disappointment, sadness or confusion, I began to  look inward and assess what exactly was the cause for these emotions to surface. But I needed more...I needed information, a historically based history of the cultures from my community. As I grew, I  became more intuned with my own personal biases and internal questions. This produced an increasing eagerness to explore further. 

As a critical thinker, I am always searching for information that will assist in answering those questions that continue to be formulated with my forever  increasing multicultural awareness. By gathering the data, and categorizing it, you will no doubt begin to see themes emerge as one would find if they were involved in conducting a formal research study.   I also began to engage co-workers of color where a mutual relationship already existed. In a culturally respectful manner, I began to ask questions and was gifted answers that  provided a more in-depth view of their particular experiences and history. 

 But what about the larger picture? What about society and the agencies we work for? Organizations need to shift from operating in cultural silos and move towards an environment of cultural inclusiveness. If management wants to recruit and retain the best and the brightest employees, they must recognize that they need to be more than culturally accepting but rather culturally inviting.  Opportunities for development, growth and promotion for their staff members must also be inclusive in order for the organization to become and remain successful.  By creating an environment which reflects minority contributions in the overall organizational mission, vision and values, management is making a multicultural investment if you will. 

The answer sounds simple but this is only the tip of many icebergs, many more conversations, opinions, ideas, research and most importantly, we must begin to talk to each other and to learn the art if listening!