Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Black & White in the NFL
From the Undefeated -
The NFL’s racial divide
Teams don’t consciously build rosters based on race, it just ends up that way
BY JASON REID AND JANE MCMANUS
On the field, the modern NFL, for the most part, is a meritocracy. But the individual positions on a roster can resemble the ordered black-and-white squares of a chessboard. The story of the enduring blackness of the running back position is part of a much bigger narrative about race and football that dates to a period when African-Americans were unofficially banned from playing in the NFL. And even today, the racial composition of NFL lineups is shaped as much by societal factors as the inclination of decision-makers to stick with what has worked so well for so long.
In the past few decades, critics have decried the way black players historically were blocked from playing quarterback in the NFL – an insulting and economically disenfranchising move. However, statistics show that times are changing – albeit still way too slowly. And although the league’s percentage of African-American signal-callers increased from 18 percent to only 19 percent during a 14-year span analyzed by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida, the emergence of young superstars such as Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, Dak Prescott and others have proved over and over again that those anachronistic ideas about leadership and intellect are no longer applicable. Warren Moon could write a book on it. Actually, he did.
https://theundefeated.com/features/the-nfls-racial-divide/
The NFL’s racial divide
Teams don’t consciously build rosters based on race, it just ends up that way
BY JASON REID AND JANE MCMANUS
On the field, the modern NFL, for the most part, is a meritocracy. But the individual positions on a roster can resemble the ordered black-and-white squares of a chessboard. The story of the enduring blackness of the running back position is part of a much bigger narrative about race and football that dates to a period when African-Americans were unofficially banned from playing in the NFL. And even today, the racial composition of NFL lineups is shaped as much by societal factors as the inclination of decision-makers to stick with what has worked so well for so long.
In the past few decades, critics have decried the way black players historically were blocked from playing quarterback in the NFL – an insulting and economically disenfranchising move. However, statistics show that times are changing – albeit still way too slowly. And although the league’s percentage of African-American signal-callers increased from 18 percent to only 19 percent during a 14-year span analyzed by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida, the emergence of young superstars such as Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, Dak Prescott and others have proved over and over again that those anachronistic ideas about leadership and intellect are no longer applicable. Warren Moon could write a book on it. Actually, he did.
https://theundefeated.com/features/the-nfls-racial-divide/
HBCUs on Display
From Essence -
Photos From The HBCU Springcoming 2017
The rain didn't stop these HBCU grads from having a good time during the third annual HBCU Springcoming in New York City.
By Mariya Moseley
http://www.essence.com/culture/photos-hbcu-graduates-springcoming-nyc-2017?xid=nl_essence_daily_am_042617
Photos From The HBCU Springcoming 2017
The rain didn't stop these HBCU grads from having a good time during the third annual HBCU Springcoming in New York City.
By Mariya Moseley
http://www.essence.com/culture/photos-hbcu-graduates-springcoming-nyc-2017?xid=nl_essence_daily_am_042617
Connecting Kids
From the New York Times -
Lifting Kids to College
By Frank Bruni
LOS ANGELES — If you go by the odds, Sierra Williams shouldn’t be in college, let alone at a highly selective school like the University of Southern California.
Many kids in her low-income neighborhood here don’t get to or through the 12th grade. Her single mother isn’t college-educated. Neither are Sierra’s two brothers, one of whom is in prison. Her sister has only a two-year associate degree.
But when Sierra was in the sixth grade, teachers spotted her potential and enrolled her in the Neighborhood Academic Initiative, or N.A.I., a program through which U.S.C. prepares underprivileged kids who live relatively near its South Los Angeles campus for higher education. She repeatedly visited U.S.C., so she could envision herself in such an environment and reach for it. She took advanced classes. Her mother, like the parents or guardians of all students in the N.A.I., got counseling on turning college into a reality for her child.
Sierra, 20, just finished her junior year at U.S.C. An engineering major, she’s already enrolled in a master’s program. “My end goal is to get my Ph.D.,” she told me when I met her recently. She wants to be a professor and, through her example as a black woman in engineering, correct the paucity of minorities in the field.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/opinion/usc-neighborhood-academic-initiative-lifting-kids-to-college.html?emc=edit_ca_20170426&nl=california-today&nlid=38867499&te=1&_r=0
Lifting Kids to College
By Frank Bruni
LOS ANGELES — If you go by the odds, Sierra Williams shouldn’t be in college, let alone at a highly selective school like the University of Southern California.
Many kids in her low-income neighborhood here don’t get to or through the 12th grade. Her single mother isn’t college-educated. Neither are Sierra’s two brothers, one of whom is in prison. Her sister has only a two-year associate degree.
But when Sierra was in the sixth grade, teachers spotted her potential and enrolled her in the Neighborhood Academic Initiative, or N.A.I., a program through which U.S.C. prepares underprivileged kids who live relatively near its South Los Angeles campus for higher education. She repeatedly visited U.S.C., so she could envision herself in such an environment and reach for it. She took advanced classes. Her mother, like the parents or guardians of all students in the N.A.I., got counseling on turning college into a reality for her child.
Sierra, 20, just finished her junior year at U.S.C. An engineering major, she’s already enrolled in a master’s program. “My end goal is to get my Ph.D.,” she told me when I met her recently. She wants to be a professor and, through her example as a black woman in engineering, correct the paucity of minorities in the field.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/opinion/usc-neighborhood-academic-initiative-lifting-kids-to-college.html?emc=edit_ca_20170426&nl=california-today&nlid=38867499&te=1&_r=0
No Ink Please
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
A Japanese artist takes on a country that despises tattoos
By Anna Fifield
OSAKA, Japan — Visitors to Japan who have tattoos bigger than a Band-Aid can forget about going to hot springs or swimming in a public pool. They also can rule out some beaches and gyms, certain restaurants and karaoke rooms, and even some convenience stores.
This is because tattoos are strongly associated with organized crime here — specifically the yakuza, or Japanese mafia — and are therefore almost universally viewed with repugnance. Case in point: When Disney released the animated movie “Moana” here recently, the advertising featured only the young girl in the title, and not the heavily tattooed Maui, who was shown on posters elsewhere (although the company says it was simply a marketing decision).
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/japanese-tattoo-artist-goes-to-court-to-challenge-a-national-revulsion-to-body-art/2017/04/24/d3bfbdee-25f2-11e7-928e-3624539060e8_story.html?utm_term=.6c89d0917632&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
This is NUTS!
From the Huffington Post -
Nordstrom Sells $425 Jeans That Are Covered In Fake Mud
They’re the opposite of dirt cheap.
By Jamie Feldman
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nordstrom-mud-jeans_us_58ff7777e4b0c46f07829179
Nordstrom Sells $425 Jeans That Are Covered In Fake Mud
They’re the opposite of dirt cheap.
By Jamie Feldman
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nordstrom-mud-jeans_us_58ff7777e4b0c46f07829179
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
"Hidden Figures" in the Classroom
From the Undefeated -
Now we can find ‘Hidden Figures’ in the classroom
The story moves from the big screen into a new curriculum
BY KELLEY D. EVANS
The eye-opening, Academy Award-winning film Hidden Figures made big strides on the big screen. Now the box-office smash can be taught in middle school social studies classes thanks to Journeys in Film, a nonprofit organization that integrates film into education.
https://theundefeated.com/features/now-we-can-find-hidden-figures-in-the-classroom/
http://journeysinfilm.org/films/hidden-figures/
Now we can find ‘Hidden Figures’ in the classroom
The story moves from the big screen into a new curriculum
BY KELLEY D. EVANS
The eye-opening, Academy Award-winning film Hidden Figures made big strides on the big screen. Now the box-office smash can be taught in middle school social studies classes thanks to Journeys in Film, a nonprofit organization that integrates film into education.
https://theundefeated.com/features/now-we-can-find-hidden-figures-in-the-classroom/
http://journeysinfilm.org/films/hidden-figures/
Quote
From the Huffington Post -
“America’s greatness has never depended on the strength of any individual person, but on all of us, working together towards a common goal. But when we’ve failed to stay true to our core values ― when we deny another person our nation’s promise of opportunity ― our national strength suffers.
“When a child can’t access the tools to succeed in school, when a woman can’t afford basic health care, when refugees fleeing terror see the door slammed in their face, when we deny civil rights on the basis of skin color or sexual orientation or religion, and when a working family can’t put food on the table, our whole nation suffers.” - Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tammy-duckworth-first-senate-speech-donald-trump_us_58ffbe9ee4b07ba261e69f64?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
“America’s greatness has never depended on the strength of any individual person, but on all of us, working together towards a common goal. But when we’ve failed to stay true to our core values ― when we deny another person our nation’s promise of opportunity ― our national strength suffers.
“When a child can’t access the tools to succeed in school, when a woman can’t afford basic health care, when refugees fleeing terror see the door slammed in their face, when we deny civil rights on the basis of skin color or sexual orientation or religion, and when a working family can’t put food on the table, our whole nation suffers.” - Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tammy-duckworth-first-senate-speech-donald-trump_us_58ffbe9ee4b07ba261e69f64?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
Overdue for Praise
An excerpt from the Huffington Post -
‘If You Take Out Kenan Thompson, The Studio Will Explode’
Insiders at SNL consider Kenan Thompson to be one of the greatest sketch comics ever. As he approaches a record 15th season on the show, maybe you should, too.
By Maxwell Strachan
‘If You Take Out Kenan Thompson, The Studio Will Explode’
Insiders at SNL consider Kenan Thompson to be one of the greatest sketch comics ever. As he approaches a record 15th season on the show, maybe you should, too.
By Maxwell Strachan
After almost a lifetime on television, Kenan Thompson might be on a first-name basis with the general public, but he doesn’t come close to registering as one of the most famous people to walk through the doors of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. His time on the show has never translated into Hollywood stardom or his own TV show. Even at SNL, there has always been someone else who took the title of favorite ― a Tina Fey, or an Andy Samberg, or a Kristen Wiig, or a Kate McKinnon.
But quietly, Thompson, who joined the cast in 2003, has strung together a run at SNL that will soon be without precedent.
Should he return next fall for another season, Thompson will make SNL history, becoming the single longest-running cast member ever at 15 seasons.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kenan-thompson-snl_us_58fdedc3e4b018a9ce5cbb02?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
Black Ivy
From Essence -
#BlackMenOfYaleUniversity Photos Give A Fresh Perspective On The Black Ivy League Experience
By Danielle Kwateng-Clark
#BlackMenOfYaleUniversity Photos Give A Fresh Perspective On The Black Ivy League Experience
By Danielle Kwateng-Clark
http://www.essence.com/news/black-men-of-yale-university-viral-photo?xid=nl_essence_daily_pm_042517
Young, Gifted, & Black Rock Climber
From the Undefeated -
Kai Lightner, 17, aims to be the best rock climber in the country
One of the few blacks at the top of the sport, he’s shooting for the Tokyo Olympics
BY PAUL WACHTER
In March, Lightner, now 17, stood in front of another climbing wall inside Denver’s Movement Climbing and Fitness gym. He was one of 69 men competing in U.S.A. Climbing’s Sport & Speed Open National Championships, and, despite his age, he arguably was the favorite. Two years ago, when he first entered the competition as a 15-year-old, he won. And last year he finished second.
~~~~~~~~~~
But being the best male climber in the country isn’t Lightner’s only goal. After graduating from high school this spring, he’ll take a year off before college to expand his international competition schedule and tackle difficult outdoor routes. There’s also the Olympics. “Tokyo in 2020 will be the first time that climbing will be in the Olympics,” Lightner said. “There will only be one male climber and one female climber from the United States, and I’ll be training for that.”
Kai Lightner, 17, aims to be the best rock climber in the country
One of the few blacks at the top of the sport, he’s shooting for the Tokyo Olympics
BY PAUL WACHTER
 |
| Kai Lightner looks up at the climbing wall in – while participating in the USA Climbing Courtesy of USA Climbing |
In March, Lightner, now 17, stood in front of another climbing wall inside Denver’s Movement Climbing and Fitness gym. He was one of 69 men competing in U.S.A. Climbing’s Sport & Speed Open National Championships, and, despite his age, he arguably was the favorite. Two years ago, when he first entered the competition as a 15-year-old, he won. And last year he finished second.
~~~~~~~~~~
But being the best male climber in the country isn’t Lightner’s only goal. After graduating from high school this spring, he’ll take a year off before college to expand his international competition schedule and tackle difficult outdoor routes. There’s also the Olympics. “Tokyo in 2020 will be the first time that climbing will be in the Olympics,” Lightner said. “There will only be one male climber and one female climber from the United States, and I’ll be training for that.”
https://theundefeated.com/features/kai-lightner-17-aims-to-be-the-best-rock-climber-in-the-country/
Insecurity Defines Him
An excerpt from Slate -
Trump’s Defining Trait
It’s his insecurity. Why that should frighten us all.
By Jamelle Bouie
Each president brings with him more than just his agenda to Washington. He also brings personal qualities, those traits of character that shape and define his time in office as much as any event or policy. For Barack Obama, that quality was a confidence—or, critics might say, aloofness—exemplified by the nickname “No Drama Obama.” For George W. Bush, it was a resolve that crossed into stubborn rigidity. For Bill Clinton, a malleability that sometimes—or even often—skirted principle.
Donald Trump has just three months in office, but even now, we can see what he brings to the White House. Not the strength or mastery he works to project with every public appearance, but its opposite: insecurity. As president, Trump is profoundly insecure: insecure about his electoral victory, insecure about his public standing, and insecure about his progress as chief executive.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/04/donald_trump_s_defining_trait_his_insecurity.html?wpsrc=newsletter_tis&sid=554654ea10defb39638b510d
Trump’s Defining Trait
It’s his insecurity. Why that should frighten us all.
By Jamelle Bouie
Each president brings with him more than just his agenda to Washington. He also brings personal qualities, those traits of character that shape and define his time in office as much as any event or policy. For Barack Obama, that quality was a confidence—or, critics might say, aloofness—exemplified by the nickname “No Drama Obama.” For George W. Bush, it was a resolve that crossed into stubborn rigidity. For Bill Clinton, a malleability that sometimes—or even often—skirted principle.
Donald Trump has just three months in office, but even now, we can see what he brings to the White House. Not the strength or mastery he works to project with every public appearance, but its opposite: insecurity. As president, Trump is profoundly insecure: insecure about his electoral victory, insecure about his public standing, and insecure about his progress as chief executive.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/04/donald_trump_s_defining_trait_his_insecurity.html?wpsrc=newsletter_tis&sid=554654ea10defb39638b510d
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)