Dumbfounded? So was I when I first saw this. My next clear thought was that the late Walt Disney, a reported Nazi sympathizer, is probably doing a little jig somewhere having a good belly laugh.

Lead paint isn’t the only element that can make our children’s playthings harmful or destructive. Teaching young people that a tool of violence, and in this country racial violence, is something to be worn as a talisman of power goes beyond the pale.
Need to see more? – The Pirates of the Caribbean “Dead Man’s Chest” …

If I had posted this piece in its original form, it would have meant that I was tone deaf. It would have meant that I was so wrapped up in happy memories that I couldn’t face facts. This piece had been a straightforward narrative expressing how much I loved the dance music of the 80’s: disco, Paradise garage style house, synth infused pop and how clubbing in New York City and Washington DC during that era shaped my coming of age. It revealed the wistful nostalgia I carry for the …

Alan Schrager is a longtime reader who frequently comments on All About Race. So when he submitted this post, I thought it the perfect way to kick off a short All About Race series reflecting on how music and race intersect in America. Here is Alan’s post:
When I worked as a percussionist in the United States Air Force Band career field back in the 1980’s, I was surrounded by some really talented musicians who had some interesting things to say. I was stationed at two assignments, my first being at …

Contributor Carole McDonnell’s short stories and essays appear online and in print, in speculative fiction, ethnic, and Christian publications. She lives in New York with her husband, two sons, and their pets. Wind Follower, published by Juno Books, is Carole’s first novel. Her voice adds plenty to our discussion, so I welcome Carole and her column Faith in Color to Allaboutrace.com.
Well, it’s that time of year again. Yet another American holiday that I as a black American am called to celebrate.
Some black folks are pretty ambivalent about American holidays. I …

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A Reader Favorite – The Racial Reset Button
I made my first appearance on NPR’s “News & Notes” today as a part of Farai Chideya’s bloggers roundtable. The other participants were Shay Riley of Booker Rising and Mark Anthony Neal of New Black Man.
We had a lively discussion. The first topic was Sherman Burnett Jr., the 15-year-old black, St. Louis teen who was just sentenced to 60 years in prison for brutally beating and sexually assaulting a black girl when he was 13 and …

Tomorrow, I will make my first appearance on NPR’s “News & Notes,” as part of a bloggers roundtable. Farai Chideya is the show’s host and I will be in studio with her. The other participants are Shay Riley of Booker Rising and Mark Anthony Neal of New Black Man.
We tape at 10am PST, but I have no idea what time the segment will air in different markets. I will post an audio link here as soon as NPR puts one up tomorrow.
I am sure the discussion will be …

According to a study published November 14, 2007, in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, Latinos and African Americans with Alzheimer’s disease live longer than white people who have the disease. Researchers do not know why this is the case, but the study’s author offered a few preliminary ideas.
Possible explanations may be underlying genetic or cultural factors.
…
Other factors that could account for the differences in surviving with the disease could be varying levels of social support from extended family, varying levels of …

Contributor Carole McDonnell’s short stories and essays appear online and in print, in speculative fiction, ethnic, and Christian publications. She lives in New York with her husband, two sons, and their pets. Wind Follower, published by Juno Books, is Carole’s first novel. Her voice adds plenty to our discussion, so I welcome Carole and her column Faith in Color to Allaboutrace.com.
I’m getting older. No, I don’t look super-old, but I look old enough. For about twenty years – from age fourteen to about thirty-five, I’ve had the same face. Unchanging, …

Contributor Andrew Padula has been in situations throughout his life where he has felt compelled to address racial issues from his unusual perspective. Andrew is a white, politically conservative, blues musician who has been teaching and touring the U.S. and Europe since 1993. He can be seen with blues legend Bobby Parker on B.E.T. Jazz Central as well as on Carlos Santana’s recent DVD release “Montreux Blues Summit”. His point of view adds plenty to our discussion, so I welcome Andrew and his column The Topsoil to Allaboutrace.com. As Andrew …

It’s a mistake to teach our kids that hackneyed, unconvincing rhyme about sticks and stones and words never hurting. Most of us know that words can slice and dice with the precision of a scalpel’s edge. Words set the foundation for periods of great tolerance and expansion. And words billow and swirl into caustic clouds when gross inhumanity thrives. But words aren’t Kryptonite. They can’t cripple with their mere utterance. Not literally, anyway. So should we care what people say? Should we care when someone says something derogatory, when someone …

Eddie Griffin offers up close insight into the real life drama that American Gangster is based on. Here is an excerpt from his fascinating post:
I served time with Leroy “Nicky” Barnes (played in the movie by Cuba Gooding, Jr.) and the black soldier in Vietnam who shipped Frank the drugs from Indo-China, a man by the name of “Ike” Atkinson. If there is any truth in the movie worth revealing, it is the fact that both Frank Lucas and Nicky Barnes were snitches. (Now I hear that there is a …

After a few weeks on the road I am officially back in the saddle. I am staying put for awhile so I’ll be posting regularly for the next couple of months.
Please stop by for Tuesday’s full post coming later today.
In the meantime, check out the comment thread on Andrew’s Dog the Bounty Hunter post.

Contributor Carole McDonnell’s short stories and essays appear online and in print, in speculative fiction, ethnic, and Christian publications. She lives in New York with her husband, two sons, and their pets. Wind Follower, published by Juno Books, is Carole’s first novel. Her voice adds plenty to our discussion, so I welcome Carole and her column Faith in Color to Allaboutrace.com.
I am often suddenly reminded that the notion we westerners have about ourselves, each other, and folks in the rest of the world is often a notion filtered through Hollywood …

Contributor Andrew Padula has been in situations throughout his life where he has felt compelled to address racial issues from his unusual perspective. Andrew is a white, politically conservative, blues musician who has been teaching and touring the U.S. and Europe since 1993. He can be seen with blues legend Bobby Parker on B.E.T. Jazz Central as well as on Carlos Santana’s recent DVD release “Montreux Blues Summit”. His point of view adds plenty to our discussion, so I welcome Andrew and his column The Topsoil to Allaboutrace.com. As Andrew …

Contributor Carole McDonnell’s short stories and essays appear online and in print, in speculative fiction, ethnic, and Christian publications. She lives in New York with her husband, two sons, and their pets. Wind Follower, published by Juno Books, is Carole’s first novel. Her voice adds plenty to our discussion, so I welcome Carole and her column Faith in Color to Allaboutrace.com.
Today I want to thank God for all the sweet-spirited, beautiful souls I have met in my journey through life. So often we get so caught up and oppressed by …