between the lines

Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D.  |   OW Contributing Columnist
Aug 26 2010

President Obama: “The worst president ever” Are you kidding me?

The hyperbole around election time has reached a fever pitch as Republican candidates for the mid-term elections focus on attacking the source of the Democratic Party revival. Aiming at the low poll numbers of President Barack Obama, ideologues are now trying to frame  the Obama presidency as change the country can no longer afford.

Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D.  |   OW Contributing Columnist
Aug 19 2010

President Obama and residual conversation on the 9-11 mosque site: Ramadan is probably the best time to discuss America’s growing anti-Muslim sentiment

The holy month of Ramadan represents the time where Muslims rededicate themselves to their faith and the practice of Islam (the religion of peace; “Islam” means “peace” in Arabic). It is also a time to educate the world on what Islam is about. Propagating one’s faith is the American way.

Americans invoke God in everything they do, whether they believe in a supreme being or not.

Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D.  |   OW Contributing Columnist
Aug 12 2010

Overturning Prop. 8: Regardless of how one feels about gay marriage, the ban was always a constitutional question

The federal court ruling to overturn the California voter-supported same-sex marriage ban initiative, Proposition 8, has set the stage for a major shift in American culture. The case of Perry vs. Schwarzenegger challenging California’s definition of marriage as between a man and a woman will be appealed all the way to the United States Supreme Court, but the die has been set.

Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D.  |   OW Contributing Columnist
Aug 5 2010

Shirley Sherrod and race realities in America: We all are in need of a history lesson

The Shirley Sherrod controversy reached a another milestone last week, when she appeared before 1,200 journalists at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention.

We witnessed a kind of wisdom we hadn’t seen in a while, as it relates to a frank discussion about race realities in America. Sherrod is a life-long activist from Southeast Georgia, who worked for the United States Department of Agriculture to help poor people.

Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D.  |   OW Contributing Columnist
Jul 22 2010

When racists speak their unspoken truths: Understanding why Tea Party Chairman Mark Williams got kicked out

Tea Party Chairman, Mark Williams, was kicked out of his post over the weekend, after he posted a racist blog in response to the NAACP calling on the Tea Party to purge its ranks of racists.

Without going into what Williams said (go to the blog to read his racist rant), understand he broke the number one rule of organizations where racists are harbored, “Thou shalt not publicly speak our truths.”

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

California
San Diego college students and volunteers will carry out their sixth home restoration project on Wednesday, July 10 through Sunday, July 14. as part of the “Healing our Heroes’ Homes” (H3) program created by the nonprofit Embrace. The five-day effort will take place at the home of medically retired Marine Corps Capt. Sarah Bettencourt. Bettencourt served with many different units across the country during the Global War on Terrorism and developed a rare neurological disorder in 2008. With a focus to restore the homes of disabled veteran homeowners, H3 falls in line with Embrace’s mission to mobilize college-student volunteers and community members to serve less fortunate members of civilian and veteran communities. The project for the Bettencourts’ home includes kitchen and bathroom remodeling, building ADA-compliant disability ramps, widening their driveway to ADA standards, widening doorways and landscaping.
 
District of Columbia
The 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will showcase its five-year community research project on African American identity with the program “The Will to Adorn: African American Diversity, Style, and Identity.” This multicity collaboration examines the history and culture of the aesthetics of African Americans. The festival will be held June 26-30 and July 3-7, outdoors on the National Mall between Seventh and 14th streets. “Whether we realize it or not, we are all dress artists. The way we compose our look is a creative expression of our ideas about who we are and who we aspire to be,” said Diana N’Diaye, program curator. “This program explores the diversity of African American traditions of style, but also teaches young people the importance of documenting their own culture and saving that information for themselves and future generations.”