Don't teach me about structural racism or else I'll file a racial discrimination complaint against you.

Professor Shannon Gibney

Minneapolis Community and Technical College will certainly be losing applicants from the African-American community in the upcoming school semesters, after Black professor, Shannon Gibney, was reprimanded by the school's vice president of academic affairs after three Caucasian male students filed a complaint against her. What was Gibney's offence? Teaching structural racism in her Introduction to Mass Communication class. According to Gibney, the three students interrupted her while she spoke—often becoming hostile, and saying comments such as: "Why do we have to talk about this? It's like people are trying to say that white men are always the villains, the bad guys." In order to take control of the situation, Gibney suggested to those students that if they didn't appreciate the subject matter being taught, that they should file a complaint with the school's legal affairs department. They did, and Gibney was formally reprimanded on the grounds that she created a hostile learning environment for trying to educate her students about the existence and operations of structural racism.

Fortunately, Gibney and six other professors are filing a class-action lawsuit against MCTC on the grounds that it is a discriminatory workplace. The fact that these students were so uncomfortable with the topic proves that they're the ones who needed to be taught about it the most. As for the vice president of academic affairs who didn't find fault with the students for filing such a ridiculous complaint, he's better off being in the classroom as he's clearly unqualified to do his jobs.

Source: Raw Story

Beck, Schlessinger, and now Starkey: The New Foot-In-Mouth Epidemic.

Tensions were high in Great Britain as rioters took to the streets in North London and other English cities following the shooting death of a black man by police officers (1). However, since many of us have been spared the idiotic statements from ill-informed personalities such as Glenn Beck, comes along the so-called historian David Starkey from Great Britain. According to Starkey, black culture is linked to gangster culture. Appearing on BBC’s Newsnight, he claimed that: “The Whites have become black” (2). Starkey clearly showed no intention of taking both feet out of his mouth, as he clearly blamed black culture as having influenced bad behaviour among the majority of white youths who have propagated the riots. It was no surprise that he would not elaborate on the definition black and white culture, Starkey was flagrantly taking an offensive against blacks.


What made Starkey’s comments so insipid is the fact that as a historian, one would expect him to know about the Swing Riots in the summer of 1830 that occurred in southern England—his home country. These riots originated as a result of disputes between poor farmers and the wealthier counterparts that had more control over the land that they worked on (3). Although there weren’t any high-definition TVs and sneakers to loot, there was still widespread destruction of threshing machines, workhouses and tithebarns. I’ve yet to read up on how black culture would’ve influenced those riots, taking into consideration that the only blacks that would’ve been in England would have been purchased during the slave trade.


While on the topic of the slave trade, Britain, at the time, was a leader in the Atlantic Slave Trade that saw the transportation of Africans to the Americas. The only ones that made it to the British Isles were used as house servants. Those Africans would’ve been so few in numbers to have had an impact on British society. For several years, slavery has been and still is considered to be one of the most heinous and despicable atrocities ever commited in history. This was a case of human beings being treated as property, a property which was viewed with lesser value than the buildings that were destroyed a few days ago during the North London Riots.


Less we forget the News of The World Scandal that had most of the western world glued to their televisions and laptops, as media mogul Rupert Murdoch defended himself against British MPs—while amazingly dodging a cream pie—for his role in the cell phone hacking scandal that ultimately pissed off a lot of people (4). But of course, I’m sure Starkey will find a way to link black culture as being the root of that problem. Clearly, all News Of The World Execs and other staff must spend their free time listening to Gangsta Rap while sporting the latest bling.


During the interview, Starkey mentioned that black British MP, the Honourable David Lammy, does not sound black if one were to listen to him speak. Lammy, although born in Tottenham, England, was raised by his Guyanese mother. I fail to understand the importance of Starkey bringing up the sound of Lammy’s voice and how this relates to the topic at hand. According to Lammy, he attributed himself being raised by a single mother as to his reasons for advocating responsible parenting and for fathers to be more active in the lives of their children. It was neither a so-called black nor a white cultural thing (5). Out of curiosity, I tried the experiment. But instead of listening to Lammy with my eyes closed, I listened to Starkey. However, I’m proud to report that I wasn’t listening to the words of a Caucasian, but those of an idiot.

Russell Brooks is the author of the action/thriller, Pandora's Succession and Unsavory Delicacies.

It's okay for me to call you a f*ggot and an ape... as long as I apologize to the public.

It does not cease to amaze me why celebrities and other public figures believe that by simply issuing an apology for inexcusable acts that they feel that it is enough. Take for instance, Kobe Bryant. A young basketball prodigy who turned heads a few days ago when his outburst led to him calling referee, Bennie Adams, a f*cking f*ggot. Now even more recently, OC County GOP official, Marilyn Davenport, was caught having sent a flagrantly racist email that depicted the Commander In Chief, President Barack Obama, as an ape. As expected, she too apologized. Both incidents stink of Dr Laura whom, many of us will never forget, thought that spewing the N-word on her radio show in rapid succession was okay… as long as an apology is issued after. And although both Bryant and Davenport have only verbally apologized, it only illustrates that they’re mostly concerned about preserving their own images.

What makes both situations similar is that both Bryant and Davenport attacked specific individuals. Yet as of today, I’ve checked many websites and have yet to find any reference that either of them have issued personal apologies to the people who they offended. Is it standard policy for celebrities to only apologize to the public?

I guess for Bryant it shouldn’t be important to do so because he doesn’t depend on Adams to ensure he keeps getting those big corporate sponsorship checks. He depends on the rest of us that bring in the television ratings and ticket sales; which then lead to increased visibility; and then to the big Ka-Ching! that could be heard miles away from his bank account. But as expected, he was quoted as saying:

“What I said last night should not be taken literally. My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period. The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings towards the gay and lesbian communities and were NOT meant to offend anyone" (1).

Okay, so we’re expected to believe that you don’t have a dislike towards gays and lesbians. Let me ask you this, Kobe. You must have been surrounded by black people all your life. One if not many must have pissed you off at least once. But have you ever reacted by calling them F*cking N*ggers?

Davenport obviously doesn’t feel that President Obama is on the same evolutionary level as she, since she didn’t apologize to him personally. No, that’s below her. After all she’s too good for him. She was quoted as making this public statement:

“I humbly apologize and ask for your forgiveness of my unwise behaviour. I say unwise because at the time I received and forwarded the email, I didn't stop to think about the historic implications and other examples of how this could be offensive."

As per the Huffington Post, in the statement, Davenport also quoted the Bible and said she was "an imperfect Christian" who tried to "live a Christ-like honoring life." She further quoted in her statement:

"I would never do anything to intentionally harm or berate others regardless of ethnicity," she said. "I will not repeat this error."(2).

Rubbish!

Marilyn, you were obviously amused by the photograph, and you were for the length of time that it took for you to look at the email and then forward it to a select group of individuals whom you thought would also find that photograph funny. I’ve only read about African-Americans who boycotted buses in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. I've only watched footage of blacks being sprayed with fire hoses and attacked by police dogs, all done with the support and encouragement of Eugene “Bull” Connor. There isn't a doubt in my mind that you actually lived and witnessed the events that occurred during that horrible period first-hand, where African-Americans were compared to apes. I would not be surprised to learn that you lived within walking distance of restaurants or stores that catered only to Caucasians, more or less shopped or dined in one of them. If you really accepted that African-Americans were oppressed and unfairly depicted during the Civil Rights era, then it’s too difficult for me to accept that you wouldn’t have instantly been offended by the email that you received. What's even worse, is that you had the nerve to hide behind the Bible. Have you forgotten that it was so-called Christians who were responsible for Jim Crow laws? Your statement was only meant to appease the hard-working American taxpayers who keep a roof over your head and food in your mouth. It wasn't meant for anyone else. And you’ve got some nerve sending out pictures that depict Obama as an ape. Because ironically, the only person who hasn't evolved, save the ones who found the picture humorous, is you.

Like Dr Laura, both Bryant and Davenport have issued apologies after their faux-pas went viral. Typical, all say and no show. Bryant could show how sorry he was. Let’s see, maybe he can get together with other professional athletes, push for a movement to promote tolerance towards young closeted gay and lesbian athletes so that they won’t be afraid to come out and be themselves.

Speaking of coming out, Davenport has done just that, unintentionally of course. How can she show that she’s sorry? Maybe she ought to convert to Islam. She might lose votes, but hey, she might wind up with new support within the African-American community. After all, who’s ever heard of a Muslim Klansman?

Russell Brooks is the author of Pandora's Succession and Unsavory Delicacies.

I'm Black and Therfore Own All Rights to say the N-Word.

Over nine million listeners—soon to double that amount by the time that I finish writing this essay—listened to Doctor Laura Schlesinger this week when she got into an argument on her radio show with a listener named Jade. For those unfamiliar with what happened, Doctor Laura—in an attempt to make a philosophical point that African-American comedians on HBO incessantly say the N-word without offending viewers—said the N-word repetitively. Although Jade told Doctor Laura that her use of the N-word bothered her, Doctor Laura still said it again. Furthermore, Doctor Laura stated that she was not calling anyone a N*g*er, that she was just making a point.

Now hold on. This is Doctor Laura, an educated and presumably very intelligent woman of some renown in the T.V psycho-babble entertainment word who is regarded by many to be a leader in that profession. She felt that she was doing the right thing. Wrong. Just because an African-American freely calls out the N-word doesn’t mean that they are right to do so—which is what Jade also told Dr. Laura before being rudely interrupted. One would think that someone of the stature of Doctor Laura would have learned from Michael Richards—formerly known as Kramer from TV’s Seinfeld—when he screamed out the N-word in public. Doctor Laura should’ve known better.

Doctor Laura’s argument that she should be allowed to say the N-word freely as long as she’s not calling anyone a N*g*er is patently ridiculous and it made me wonder. Before that now awfully revelatory call from Jade, has she ever freely said the N-word in the presence of friends of like colour? For sure she would not have freely said the N-word in the presence of her bodyguard—who happens to be black? Considering that she’s a public figure, had she done that, I doubt Doctor Laura would’ve gotten away without causing a media stir that she wished to have avoided at this moment.

Doctor Laura has since apologized for her careless use of the N-word. I imagine that she’s had time to listen to the broadcast, to reflect and become more self-aware of her public role and admit that she has made a serious ethical error. I’m curious to know at which point Doctor Laura realized this. Was it the moment when she deviated from the topic and talked about President Obama and interjected that African-Americans voted him into power just because he had more melanin than his challenger? Was it when she accused Jade of being hypersensitive because Jade’s neighbour kept stepping on the line by obsessively singling out African-Americans in every conversation? Or was it when she interrupted Jade as she was about to mention that the N-word was thrown about in her house by family as though she was absent?

After having listened to the broadcast several times I’ve concluded that Jade had every right to be bothered by what went on in her household. Accusing Jade of being hypersensitive was insulting and demeaning because Jade stated that her dilemma had gone on for quite some time before she had reached the point of frustration.

As for bringing up President Obama, not only was it off topic but Doctor Laura herself was being racially insensitive when she said that blacks only voted for him because he was black. I’ll admit that if I was an American citizen, I would’ve voted for Obama, not because he’s black but because I feel that he’s more qualified to lead the country. Had it been Hillary Clinton versus Ms Condoleezza Rice or worse yet, Michael Steel, I would’ve voted for Mrs Clinton. Please note, that in the above reference to President Obama, I do not accuse Doctor Laura of being a racist, but that she was racially insensitive. Furthermore, the broadcast hasn’t convinced me that she is a racist, and I am saying this having repeated listened to it. Doctor Laura could have helped Jade had she listened to her more attentively!

Russell Brooks is the author of the upcoming thriller, Pandora's Succession, to be released in the Fall of 2010. Visit http://www.russellparkway.com/ for details.

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