Blog / racism

Here's another great poem from Arnold Adoff that was in the book All the Colors of the Race that I featured yesterday. On my applications by Arnold Adoff On my applications   I can                                put: this girl:           a black,              white, Christian, Jewish,             young             woman:                  student,                  musician, singer, dancer, runner    in the middle distance races,                  is willing to help you                  if you take her as she                                              is.

Here is a tiny treasure that I found in the library this summer. A book of poems, All the Colors of the Race, written by Arnold Adoff. Based on his own interracial family, Adoff writes from the perspective of his biracial (black/white) daughter, which I find very interesting. At first I was a bit thrown off because I generally prefer poetry to rhyme, however, his style is considered "free verse" poetry. The more I read (and re-read) them, the more I fall in love with them! I hope you do too. The lady said by Arnold Adoff The lady said:       what are you going to                                                  be                                 when you grow                                 all the way up? And I said:      a woman. And she said.     No. I mean what are                                           you                                           now? And I said:   a girl. And she said:   No. I mean what do you call                                         yourself? And I said:   Honey. Baby. Sweet                                        potato                                        pie                                        face me. If she finds it hard,                      I find it easy      to make it hard for her.

The Cold Within by James Patrick Kinney Six humans trapped by happenstance in black and bitter cold Each possessed a stick of wood, Or so the story's told. Their dying fire in need of logs, the first woman held hers back For on the faces around the fire She noticed one was black. The next man looking 'cross the way Saw one not of his church And couldn't bring himself to give The fire his stick of birch. The third one sat in tattered clothes He gave his coat a hitch, Why should his log be put to use To warm the idle rich? The rich man just sat back and thought Of the wealth he had in store, And how to keep what he had earned From the lazy, shiftless poor. The black man's face bespoke revenge As the fire passed from his sight, For all he saw in his stick of wood Was a chance to spite the white. And the last man of this forlorn group Did naught except for gain, Giving only to those who gave Was how he played the game. The logs held tight in death's stilled hands Was proof of human sin, They didn't die from the cold without, They died from the cold within.

  This quiz made me think of the movie "White Men Can't Jump". While I haven't seen it in a LONG time, I remember the gist of it. White boys shocks everyone because he can play ball. Is it a stereotype that race plays a factor in how good of an athlete you are? Test your knowledege. Surprised by anything? We will continue to look at a couple more highlights from the exhibit "Race: Are we so different?".  If you have missed any, you can catch up here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. To learn more about this exhibit visit Understanding Race.

Can scientists determine a person's race by looking at their DNA? Can experiencing racism lead to serious health consequences? These are 2 of the 10 questions on the Human Variation Quiz. Run over and take it, I'll wait... How'd you do? Were you surprised by any of the answers? Tell us! Stay tuned as we continue to look at a few more highlights from the exhibit "Race: Are we so different?". If you missed our previous highlights, check them out: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. To learn more about this great exhibit visit Understanding Race.

This is a continuation of our look at the "Race: Are we so different?" exhibit highlights. If you are just joining us, you might also want to check out Part 1 and Part 2. Today I'm linking to the Who is White? quiz. Take it and see what you think. In her own words, this is why Vernellia Randall, Professor of Law, University of Dayton Law School, developed it:

I created this survey to help show that we make judgments not only about who is white but also about what countries are white (or predominantly white), and to call attention to some of the questions this raises. For example, when someone is not considered white is a citizen of a country that is considered white, that person is often perceived as a foreigner. For instance, even though the families of many Japanese Americans have been in the U.S. much longer than the families of European Americans, they are often viewed as outsiders. Our opinions about who is white and who is not can affect how we relate to one another. Race matters because discrimination based on perceived racial grouping continues to exist."

Your thoughts? To learn more about the exhibit, visit Understanding Race

Today is Part 2 in the highlights of the traveling exhibit "Race: Are we so different?". Check out Part 1 if you missed it. Today let's look at the history of race:

To learn more about the exhibit or dig deeper, visit Understanding Race

There is a traveling exhib that was developed by the American Anthropological Association, titled "Race: Are we so different?". The exhibit examines racial issues through history, science, and experiences. This is a wonderful exhibit that offers a wealth of information. I thought it would be fun to highlight a few of my favorite parts of the exhibit over my next several posts. Let's start with an introduction to the exhibit:

To learn more about the exhibit or dig deeper, visit Understanding Race

The Rabbits' Wedding by Garth Williams

The Rabbits' Wedding is, hands down, my youngest daughters favorite book. It has been as far back as I can remember. It's a sweet story about two little rabbits, one white and the other black, who fall in love and want to be together forever. The illustrations are darling! Garth Williams is famous for illustrating many books, two of the most notable are Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web. Here's a favorite page that always produces laughs:

Interestingly, the book was banned in several places during the 1960's for fear that it was "brainwashing" children into thinking integration/interracial marriage was good. Sweet message + darling illustrations = priceless! BUY IT HERE!