Submitted by Omekongo on Mon, 10/29/2012 - 09:22
Since the arrival of Europeans on the shores of what would become The United States of America, there has always been an affirmative action policy in existence. The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes Affirmative Action as “an active effort to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups and women: or “a similar effort to promote the rights or progress of other disadvantaged persons.” Using both of these definitions, it is safe to say that affirmative action has been in existence for one group since this country was created—white males.
Submitted by Omekongo on Wed, 08/22/2012 - 10:55
Video: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-829651
In this video, I discuss how in the past few days I've heard the term "pimp," "gangster," and " angry" all used to refer to President Obama. These terms are never used to describe White politicians. Was Gingrich not angry? This is pathetic and should be recognized for what it is: a scare tactic to convince people not to vote for an "angry" black "gangster" who will "pimp out" the American political system.
Submitted by Omekongo on Wed, 04/18/2012 - 08:41
While I understand that some are tired of the Trayvon Martin story, many of us can't be tired because we ARE Trayvon too. These situations happen too often to innocent and unarmed black males. If some of the roles were reversed however, there would still be a segment of America that would be tired of the coverage. We have to get beyond our differences and look at our common humanity. I hope in the long run that the Trayvon Martin case will help us do that.
Video: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-772095
Submitted by Omekongo on Sat, 08/21/2010 - 14:13
Submitted by Omekongo on Mon, 01/11/2010 - 15:50
Americans would rather point fingers about race than talk about it directly. As a diversity educator, I encounter people every day who are just not ready to have this dialogue, yet are quick to say that we are post racial now that we have a black president. Most of us still hold stereotypes about other groups but we would never know they are stereotypes until we confront our beliefs. Entire policies from education to law enforcement have been crafted in America based on race and this is still an issue.
Submitted by Omekongo on Mon, 06/01/2009 - 15:11
Article looks at the hypocrisy of those who call Judge Sonia Sotomayor a racist while ignoring the racist history of the Supreme Court and America in general. Judge Sonia Sotomayor made history by becoming the first Latina to be appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). I did not expect to become as emotional as I did as I watched President Obama introduce her. For the many (not all) Latinos who support her, I assume that this is almost similar to the feeling that we as African Americans had with Obama's DNC victory.
Submitted by Omekongo on Fri, 02/13/2009 - 08:14
What do you know about the "R-word"? Doesn't it sound weird even saying it? It's like if someone said the "z-word" or the "y-word" (don't know if those exist but I'm sure after writing this, I'll find out.) It just doesn't have the same feel as the "n-word" does it? Well, given that I hate the entire concept of any hyphenated word, I'll just put it out there-- the "r" stands for "retarded" and a scene in the new movie "Tropic Thunder" where the word is used repeatedly has brought the problem with this word to the light for many people -- but not enough people.
Submitted by Omekongo on Fri, 02/13/2009 - 08:05
So the 3 cops who killed Sean Bell got off without even a slap on the wrist. Not even a misdemeanor. An unarmed man gets slaughtered on his wedding day and no justice is served--except for the police. As a young Black male, I instantly placed myself at the scene of that crime. I instantly saw myself leaving my house on the day of my wedding in 2003 after playing video games with my brother, stopping at the mall on the way to one of the happiest days of my life, and being shot at 50 times.
Submitted by Omekongo on Fri, 02/13/2009 - 08:03
One thing you have to love about Senator Obama's campaign is that, like it or not, many (not all) of who have not had to confront this issue of race head on, all of a sudden have to start discussing it. I say "many" because most of us will just hear one statement from Geraldine Ferraro or Obama's pastor Reverend Wright and go back to our incestuous circles where we only talk to like-minded people who reinforce our ignorance.
Submitted by Omekongo on Fri, 02/13/2009 - 07:51
Never underestimate the power of ignorance, particularly as we kick off a new year. I recently completed my second Empowerment through the Arts tour in South Africa. This year, I took my sister's Boston-based dance company, the OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center. It was 10-full days of learning dance, teaching dance, and learning about South Africa's tragic history of apartheid.
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