Addicted to Race

What are some strategies for overcoming resistance to gay rights in the African-American community? Does the movie Precious exploit black dysfunction? Did CNN’s special on “Black Men in the Age of President Obama” reinforce stereotypes about black gay men? Given the popularity of “mommy memoirs,” why aren’t there more women of color writing these books? [...]

MLK’s daughter recently declared that her father didn’t take a bullet for same-sex unions. Why is it that marginalized people fight each other over scraps, instead of uniting to work toward justice for all? Capitalism as we know it is simply not sustainable. We discuss the work of economist Noreena Hertz, and explore the link [...]

Since the implementation of affirmative action in the college admissions process, opponents of the policy have alleged that the changes reduce the chances of White and Asian high school students applying to elite colleges. Is that really true? Tyra Banks often tackles race on her talk show, so why did she get race oh-so-wrong in [...]

Did CNN’s documentary series “Latino in America” break new ground? Or did it simply reaffirm existing stereotypes? Why do so many people use Halloween as an opportunity to dress up as someone of a different race or ethnicity? Are the so-called “homeland tours” — in which countries like China and Korea invite adoptees to visit [...]

How do we tie anti-racism into policy changes when whites are so weary of talking about race? Did white privilege have anything to do with the seeming lack of guilt on behalf of the white mother who terminated an adoption of her South American son? Are accusations of communism about redistribution of wealth, or redistribution [...]

Why does Hollywood continue to whitewash movies by casting white actors to play characters that were originally people of color? A popular Australian TV show is being criticized for featuring a blackface skit, but can we apply American attitudes toward race to other countries? Would Derrion Albert’s death be any less of a tragedy if [...]

In a hypercapitalist culture, are children the ultimate commodity? What’s the connection between capitalism, human trafficking, and transracial adoption? How does police brutality impact communities of color? We often hear that poor people make unhealthy food choices, but how often do we consider the availability of healthy foods in poorer neighborhoods? Is Barbie’s new line [...]