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How Transformation Became Reformation: The Religious Right and the Rest of Us

The fight for same sex marriage rights has surfaced deep political divisions within the LGBT movement. On one side of the divide, marriage advocates say that winning marriage inclusion is just a step in a larger civil rights struggle. Meanwhile, marriage critics remind us that the movement that began with the Stonewall rebellion was a movement for sexual liberation and radical feminism, and not just civil rights. That movement included many who called for an end to state sanctioned marriage.

At the heart of the debate is a disagreement over strategy. One side wants to focus on liberation writ large, … Read more “How Transformation Became Reformation: The Religious Right and the Rest of Us”

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The GOP’s Uneasy Alliance

What, me worry?

– Alfred E. Neuman

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the GOP trying to change its image with minority voters. They’ve obviously gotten the memo on demographic change and are scrambling to catch up with history. Yet, in spite of their apparent desire to change, the party just affirmed its bullheaded opposition to same sex marriage at their annual spring meeting. Apparently, the GOP is being strong-armed into acting against its long-term interests by evangelical leaders whose loyalty is necessary in order to address short term needs like maintaining a GOP House majority through the … Read more “The GOP’s Uneasy Alliance”

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More on the Accidental Racism of Brad Paisley

Yesterday I wrote about Brad Paisley’s Accidental Racist, his musical response to accusations of racism he faced for flying the rebel flag on his chest. Its message? The past is the past. Let’s get over it and move on.

But the song is worth further dissection because I think it reveals a great deal about why the GOP’s racist Southern Strategy was successful, and why it’s going to be tough for them to simply re-brand that strategy away in order to meet the challenge of demographic change.

For the uninitiated, the Southern Strategy was built on the ruins of … Read more “More on the Accidental Racism of Brad Paisley”

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The National “Conversation” Brad Paisley Would Like Us To Have About How He’s Not A Racist

Country singer Brad Paisley wants to have a national conversation on race. Paisley began that “conversation” with his single Accidental Racist, a painfully tortured defense against accusations of racism brought against him for wearing a rebel flag.

The rebel flag, I remind you, is a symbol of white supremacy, raised by the rebel army in defense of slavery, and then brought back after the war by the Ku Klux Klan as a symbol of resistance to Reconstruction.

The song includes a performance by rapper LL Cool Jay who provides the counterpoint in the conversation. He asks, among other things, that … Read more “The National “Conversation” Brad Paisley Would Like Us To Have About How He’s Not A Racist”

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What Does Pork Have to do with the U.S. Immigration “Problem?”

Years ago, I moved to Eastern Tennessee to work at the Highlander Research and Education Center. Highlander was founded as the Highlander Folk School, but reincorporated under its current name after its charter was revoked by the State of Tennessee in 1962 in an effort to dislodge the school from its pivotal position in the African American Civil Rights Movement.

Highlander is famous for hosting students like Rosa Parks, Dr. King, John Lewis, and Ella Baker. But I’ve always felt that its greatest accomplishment was organizing the Citizenship Schools. Under the leadership of Septima Clark, Bernice Robinson, and Esau … Read more “What Does Pork Have to do with the U.S. Immigration “Problem?””

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Conservatives

conservative kən-ˈsər-və-tiv adjective: tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions

In Why I Support Same-Sex Marriage as a Civil Right, But Not as a Strategy to Win Structural Change, I got into trouble for using the term “conservative” to refer to “Christian” and to “marriage.” Because the post went viral, this was no small issue. A big bunch of you were offended.

Because writing and putting my ideas before the public to critique is a big part of my learning process, I read all of the comments I get from readers, both on Race Files … Read more “Conservatives”

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Malkin vs Vargas: The Battle Royal That Wasn’t

The twitter debate on immigration between right wing pundit Michelle Malkin and the most famous undocumented immigrant in the U.S., Jose Antonio Vargas, was, as per this BuzzFeed story, riveting. Seriously, follow the link. I had no idea that twitter could be so fun and educational.

If you need an incentive to look, consider the players. I love Michelle Malkin. Obviously, I despise her political views, but, at a time when much of mainstream political media plays like reality TV, Michelle Malkin is the Omarosa of punditry. The world of political commentary without Michelle Malkin and her ilk would be … Read more “Malkin vs Vargas: The Battle Royal That Wasn’t”

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The Other Side of Anti-Black Racism

 

Give me a place to stand on and I will move the earth

– Archimedes

I’ve argued in the past that the fulcrum of white supremacy is anti-black racism. A fulcrum, you probably already know, is what one rests a lever on to give it, well, leverage. Without it, a lever is just a stick.

I’ve called anti-black racism the fulcrum of white supremacy because I believe fear and loathing of black people is the driving force behind our racial politics. It has shaped everything from welfare policy to policing. While today unions may be working people’s best friend, … Read more “The Other Side of Anti-Black Racism”

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The Rebellion That Wasn’t

I’ve lately had multiple conversations with friends bewildered over the lack of widespread rebellion against economic elites. They wonder, given the hubris, the greed, the outright irresponsibility and callous arrogance that led to the bottoming out of the American economy in 2008, why no broad based revolt?

Yes there was Occupy Wall Street. But while it was at times glorious it was in the main an anemic rebellion confined, with some exceptions, to one narrow slice of the broad public affected by the crash. Where were the rest of us? Why aren’t we raising pitch forks and torches and … Read more “The Rebellion That Wasn’t”

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Guns and God: The Right Wing, Marriage, and What Lies Ahead

I’m anxious to move beyond marriage equality, both politically and in this blog. As Black Girl Dangerous recently pointed out, many injustices are being perpetrated while our attentions are riveted to the marriage debate. And, while marriage is a very important concern, this blog exists to draw our attention to the aspects of injustice that lurk beyond, beneath, and on the edges of the more obvious offenses to justice that tend to dominate the news cycle.

And, as my readers no doubt know, while the traditional nuclear family continues to be promoted as the ideal, the reality is that most … Read more “Guns and God: The Right Wing, Marriage, and What Lies Ahead”