Day: June 1, 2020

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1968 and 2020

  By Democracy, Fascism, US

I was talking on a national call about this time and 1968. I was only 13 then and maybe don’t recall how crazy and unsettled and uncertain that time felt, what with the Tet Offensive (which made it clear that Vietnam was a lost cause), the assassinations and riots, the Democratic convention, and the election of Nixon (and probably more I don’t remember). But this time feels more uncertain and scarier. I’m not exactly sure why but I suppose it’s mostly Trump and the support he has from half this country. Police brutality, property destruction in cities, even COVID-19 wouldn’t feel utterly unmanageable if we had a president who was not both incompetent and a threat to our Constitution, democracy, and freedom. And while Nixon’s possible election was scary, he was never nearly as scary or as bad as Trump. The immorality of Vietnam weighed heavily on us, but it… Continue reading

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No “Buts”—Really Seeing White Supremacy in America

  By Racial Justice, US, White Supremacy and Structural Racism

Prefatory note: I start more writing projects than I can finish and usually have 20 or 30 half-finished pieces that I’m waiting to complete at the right moment. This seemed the right time to finish and post this one on racial justice. There is nothing new here at all. But it seems important for white people to be talking about these issues at this moment. My colleagues in the State Directors Racial Equity workgroup of the State Priorities Project State Directors helped me immensely with the hard thinking and personal reflection that led to this piece. Of them, I particularly want to thank James Jimenez of New Mexico, a great colleague and friend who contributed in many ways to this piece. I’ve been part of a group of directors of organizations that parallel mine who came together to better understand how racial equity should fit into our work. And those… Continue reading

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Racism in America and the Current Moment

  By White Supremacy and Structural Racism

Originally published by the PA Budget and Policy Center. By Marc Stier and Kadida Kenner The attention of the public and political leaders in our state and country has understandably been focused in the last few days on the civil disturbances in our cities and how to quell them. We write, however, to urge that we all return our attention as soon as possible to the profound issues facing our country, the issues elevated by the murder of George Floyd that have led tens of thousands of people—Black, brown ,and white—to engage in peaceful protests all over Pennsylvania, the United States, & Europe. Click here to read this full screen or print. Continue reading