Social Etymologies

"On June 29, 2009, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions by the city of New Haven due to their race. The decision overturns a lower court ruling supported by federal appeals Judge Sonia Sotomayor, now a Supreme Court nominee. The court opinion in Ricci v. DeStefano, No. 07-1428, was written by Justice Anthony Kennedy. He was joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas." (Adam Liptak, NYT)

Click here for a report by Chris Rizo of Legal Newsline and here for the Court's decision.

Photo by Ian Teh who collaborated with Mark on CME

In the June issue of In These Times, contributing editor Kari Lyderson provides a compelling analysis of Mark's new book, Coal Mountain Elementary (Coffee House Press, 2009). The following is an excerpt from Lyderson's article.

Police outside Harlem Hospital emergency room this morning (29 May) waiting for news. Photo by Patrick Andrade for NYT.

In January of 2008, Christopher Ridley, a twenty-three year old Black NY police officer was shot multiple times in Mt. Vernon, NY by his fellow officers who were responding to Ridley's call for back-up. Ridley was off-duty when he attempted to break up a fight in downtown White Plains involving men waiting for a ride back to the local shelter provided for people living without homes. The four police responsible for the shooting of Ridley were never indicted.

Sketch by Maggie, 2007

TITLE: White before We Got Here: Youth & the Hidden Curriculum of Whiteness
EDITORS: Bill Ayers, Dept. of Education, University of Illinois @Chicago & Lisa Arrastía, Dept. of American Studies, University of Minnesota

We’re looking for essays, poetry, lyrics, and photographs of original visual/performance/installation art by young women and men no older than 25 at the time of the work was created.

Submissions to our edited book may be creative non-fiction, personal essays; poetry; and all types of artwork. The only rule is that the work has to be yours. Your work has to be previously unpublished and not under consideration by another publication or media source.

Work submitted should demonstrate an attempt to examine how you see and experience whiteness in your life, and/or culture, community, city, town, nation.

For more information and possible ideas to consider, go to WHITE.