The Third Decade

Is he or isn't he? Will the real Ego Ezedi please stand up.

This morning I woke up to find a link in my inbox to an article in Boston University's Daily Free Press titled

Former BU biolab proponent runs for city council, campaigns against biolab

Long-time readers of this blog know that I'm anti-biolab, so of course I was curious to see who the person is. I was a little surprised to read that it's Ego Ezedi. As the article mentions, Ego was featured in a student-produced video strongly supporting the biolab. Actually, strongly is an understatement. My initial reaction to watching the video years ago was that Mr. Ezedi had the interests of Boston University, not the community, in mind. As an employee of B.U. that comes as no surprise. What I found off-putting was the arrogance and vehemence of his statements.

Flash forward to the present day and now there's an article stating that he's opposed to the biolab...or at least its Level 4 designation. Other than saying that now he understands that 100% safety cannot be guaranteed, he says that his change of mind is based on "personal convictions."

What the hell?!

Mr. Ezedi, you can do better than that. Given how strongly you spoke out in favor of the biolab 4 years ago, why can't you be just as vocal and emphatic? When I met you at a meet-and-greet earlier this summer and asked about your ideas concerning transit and environmental justice issues, I did so without remembering that you were in this video. You didn't have a response to those questions, which is unfortunate given your previous stance and apparent change of mind concerning the biolab.

It's changes of position (and tepid acknowledgment of those changes) like this that make me skeptical of politics and politicians in general. OK, so now you're opposed to the biolab...kind of. What's next? What do you propose as a solution for the community which you would like to elect you to office? If elected, how do we know that you won't change position again?

At the very least, watching this video made me realize that change is happening in the Dudley area. One of the Superfund sites (the Modern Electroplating Factory) is in the process of being cleaned and redeveloped. I don't know where the other one is/was, but I'm hoping that remediation plans are in the works for that one, too.

No more Banner?

First UniversalHub then the Boston Globe report that the Bay State Banner will be shutting down. This sucks! If the Banner really does shut down, there's going to be a big void in Boston's communities of color when it comes to print news. What I don't understand is why the Banner didn't take a page out of the Globe's playbook and report on its own situation months ago. Hello, that's news! Did the publisher really have to wait until now to say the paper needs help?

The Evisceration of Roxbury

Without any concrete evidence, I will stop short of claiming intimidation or conspiracy. But, how is it possible that nearly every major politician representing Roxbury (some of the few relevant local politicians of color, by the way) has been caught up in some kind of alleged scandal recently?! Wilkerson, Turner, and now Fox? The politicians representing Roxbury can't be any more corrupt than the pols in any other city or district around Massachusetts. So what's the deal? Are they being careless? Are they being targeted? Or is the community itself the battleground?

With Boston running out of large lots of land for new building projects, Roxbury is one of the few areas close to downtown with enough space left for major construction projects (Allston and the South Boston waterfront are two of the others). Mayor Menino's recent attempt to seize control of P3, the redevelopment plans for Dudley Square, resistance to institutional creep (such as Northeastern's campus expansion and Boston University's Bio Lab), and the community's demands for improved transportation are just a few examples of how competition for space in and control over the neighborhood are heating up.

With the community's senior and most vocal politicians knocked off their pedistals, it would be easy to pick apart the neighborhood bit by bit. That, of course, doesn't excuse our politicians of wrongdoing, if they've done something wrong. But, let's put everything on the table. If they've done wrong, let's see more than a few clips and allegations in the media. In the meantime, the community would be wise to keep its eyes on real estate trends and development patterns in the area. If Harvard was able to secretly purchase half of Allston, there's no reason to suspect that it wouldn't happen in Roxbury, too.

The U.S. still isn't ready for (the elimination of) Black History Month.

Maybe it's the economy. Maybe it's the weather. Maybe it's just my perception. 

In general, this Black History Month feels like it has been one of the more contentious ones in recent memory. Usually the annual commemoration passes by without much notice outside of the Black community. I suspect the Obama presidency has been a factor in changing things this year. But the level of bitterness (and ignorance) that have been stirred up are at a point I wouldn't have expected in 2009,  particularly not from a place like New York City! The New York Post's cartoon featuring police officers shooting a chimp while commenting about the stimulus package is one example of thinly-veiled racism (or rampant ignorance). But I'm also still receiving emails about the baker who created the "drunked negro face" cookies. I don't remember when I first heard about those, but the fact that I'm still hearing about them weeks later has me wondering whether the baker is still selling them and trying to convince others that they're in good taste.

Of course I'm not trying to single out New York City. I'm probably hearing about these examples simply because they occurred in New York and it's hard to escape scrutiny there. Odds are that a lot more mischief has happened around the country, but that fewer people are aware of those occurrences because they happened in smaller places. Either way, a raw nerve is being plucked. Sadly, it has the potential to manifest itself into something very ugly on a larger scale unless we address it as a society. Attorney General Eric Holder was right in calling out the country regarding our racial dynamics and I'm eager to see what he's going to do to encourage more people to talk openly instead of resorting to the kinds of insensitive expressions mentioned above.

Then there are those who suggest that we should do away with Black History Month completely. 

Black History Month Begins

It's Black History Month again and there's a lot going on. If you're looking for things to do, check out Discover Roxbury's list of events and tours happening around the community. I'm sure there's more going on, but at least this provides a good start.

Inaugural Memories

First of all, congratulations, President Barack Hussein Obama. After two long years of campaigning and dismissing your initial nay-sayers, I'm happy to see you in office and hard at work from day one.

There aren't any words that can sum up Inauguration Day without sounding cliched, but it really was an incredible and momentous occasion. The crowds were huge, but not impossible or unbearable. After living in Japan and London and dealing with Paris and Madrid's crowds on New Years Eve, this crowd was comparatively small. Besides that, the crowd control measures were organized and everyone was in a mood to party, not act the fool. The Metro was very effective at shuttling people around, although at times some of the outer stations were temporarily shut down to keep the crowds on the platforms from growing dangerously large.

Despite the blue skies and bright sun, it was cold. A chilly wind whipped up a little dust from time to time, but for the most part, it was a beautiful day. Snow was in the forecast, but not a single flake fell during my time in Washington. The Mall itself was a beautiful sea of humanity. People were smiling, holding hands, huddling (mostly for warmth), and just having a good time. Vendors sold everything from Obama photos to buttons, to t-shirts, but I don't think too many people bought t-shirts. My friends and I arrived around 10am and found a spot near one of the jumbotron TVs between the Washington Monument and the last set of buildings in the Smithsonian complex. 

Between our arrival and the noon swearing in, the audience grew and grew and grew. Official estimates are that 2 million people showed up, but with such a large open space, it never felt crowded or uncomfortable. We had a clear view of the jumbotron and I even walked around the crowd a couple of times to take crowd shots as we waited. I thought I'd lose track of my friends by walking around, but it was always easy to meet up and stand next to them again.

It's About Time

Although it's too bad that Wilkerson and Turner had to be thrown under the bus, it's great to read that Boston's political Black community is starting to shake off the cobwebs. The last generation of community leadership, rightly, focused on educational gains and economic revitalization. Unfortunately, the community also became too reliant upon the same group of people and did little grooming of new leaders. Basically, complacency and a lack of fresh voices and ideas got us here as much as greed and alleged entrapment. Now that everyone's eyes are being opened, I think a lot of people will look forward to the new opportunities that are becoming available. It'll be interesting to see if an elected School Committee can make a comeback. Didn't Menino crush that idea 10 years ago?

A Black Friend in the White House or A White Enemy?

I don't think anyone was surprised to read that the Boston Globe formally endorsed Barack Obama for president today. The only source of surprise may be that the paper waited so long to do it. 

Despite seeing the headline first thing this morning, I chose not to read the editorial until the afternoon. Instead I read the International Herald Tribune and the Economist to see what they've been writing about the election and the candidates. The Economist has an interesting map featuring the on-going results of what the presidential election would be like if the whole world could vote. As you can see from the map above, Obama is way ahead with close to 99% of the vote. Cuba and Georgia are the only two countries favoring McCain, although I'm not sure why.

As for the IHT, they have an article about how race may affect the decision of rural voters. Despite Obama's focus on the issues and his choice to run as a post-racial candidate, many rural white people are still put off by his "race," even though genetically he is equally black and white. I'd be interested in hearing white America explain why Obama's white background is ignored (or why his skin color makes a difference at all), but I'll probably be waiting forever to hear that. Anyway, one line in particular that caught my eye was this tidbit:

"What you hear around here is, would you rather have a black friend in the White House, or a white enemy?" said John Schuster, a Republican from Wheeling, West Virginia, who joined several thousand people here for a twilight rally led by Palin.

Seems like a no-brainer to me. A friend in the White House, regardless of color, would be the best option.

With these articles as background, I read the Globe's editorial. It was heartening to read that the editorial staff believes that the "charismatic Democrat from Illinois has the ability to channel Americans' hopes and rally the public together." I just hope they're right. Lately, the diversity of reasons people have given for not supporting Obama is matched by the number of articles I've seen about rural whites opposing Obama. Perhaps the Globe has insights different from my own, but I worry that this country will shoot itself in the foot for a third consecutive presidential term just because Obama has dark skin, a "funny" name, and is well-educated. C'mon, America. Shouldn't we want a young, contemporary, educated candidate? For all of you who are against Obama, aren't those the exact same qualities that persuade you to support Sarah Palin?

A few weeks ago, I was chatting with Good & Plenty about the candidates. What if we expected more from them? Instead of limiting our choices to experience, eloquence, and ideology, what if we also required that candidates speak another language other than English? Or that they had to have spent at least a year overseas working for the Peace Corps? Those requirements would be in addition to spending significant amounts of time living and working in rural and urban areas domestically. Think of how we would all benefit by having a well-rounded candidate for president. My jaw dropped when Sarah Palin said that Alaska is a microcosm of the entire country. Is she for real with that? There are cities in the lower 48 with populations greater than the entire state of Alaska. What could she possibly understand from a ground-level point of view if she hasn't experienced that or worked with a system involved with those levels of complexity? 

This isn't to say that Obama and Biden are perfect, but at least they have a diversity of experience - individually and combined - that I can appreciate and believe will make them able to relate to the majority of the country. Unlike the Bush or McCain clans, neither is from a privileged military or political dynasty. Ninety percent of the American population is neither privileged nor rich; we need people who understand what the majority of us deal with on a daily basis.

So, with only 21 days until the general election, rural America, please move past the simplistic biases an distractions of "elitism," middle names, and skin color. Exercise the common sense that us folks on the East Coast are told that small town America has. You've seen how this country has been run into the ground by 8 years of conservative policies. Unless you are truly better off now than you were 8 or 4 years ago, vote for a friend in the White House. Vote Obama.

Our Candidates, Ourselves

I'm a little bored with local issues these days, but national politics has been an endless source of entertainment and drama. Below are four videos which caught my eye recently.

First up is Donna Brazile. She's got a great mind, but is perhaps one of the most underexposed people in politics.

Second, Fox News spends time talking about an un-retouched photo of Sarah Palin in Newsweek. Guess they didn't hear what Donna Brazile had to say. Still, I'm curious to hear what women think about the issue and the photo.

Third, McCain's rage. I've heard allegations of his temper, but this is the first time I've seen any kind of documentary/documentation about it.

Fourth, Ohio makes me sad. As The Daily Show has pointed out recently, the American public has had 2 years to scrutinize and question Barack Obama. Some people, however, have missed out. I wonder how.

   

(via Towleroad)

Miracle at St. Anna

Last night I had the pleasure of attending an advance screening for Spike Lee's new movie Miracle at St. Anna. With Inside Man under his belt and Miracle at St. Anna coming up, I like the scope Spike is beginning to encompass in his movies. His central focus is still on the Black American experience and perspective, but he's moving beyond the community's internal divisions and conflicts and exploring individual strengths and accomplishments. Let's hope he continues on this path because I think this is some of his best work in years.

Miracle at St. Anna, although 166 minutes, is so captivating that I had no idea 2 hours had passed by. The movie starts off in the present day and then travels back to 1944 to explain why the present turned out the way it did. I thought the modern-day scenes were a little weak and felt forced. Otherwise, the film does an excellent job at exploring the tension, confusion, and anger at the heart of being a Black soldier fighting in Italy in WWII. Spike took his time to develop the characters, explore the forces which shaped them, and make us feel connected to them. The audience was so caught up in the movie, that no one spoke or got up in the middle, both of which are rare for long movies, especially with a majority-Black audience.

So, with this weekend forecast to be a washout and McCain threatening not to debate Obama, check out this movie. I think it's one people will be talking about for a while.