As you’ve probably noticed, I haven’t been blogging that much lately—too busy! And I probably shouldn’t be blogging now, but I wanted to call your attention to a few items of interest I’ve run across recently. Some of them are slightly aged but still worthwhile.
- “Racial Shift in a Progressive City Spurs Talks.” A case study of the pros and cons of diversity in Portland, Oregon. City leaders are encouraging black and white residents to talk about gentrification and race.
- Chicago Sun-Times Coverage of Father Pfleger. Religion columnist Cathleen Falsani, the journalist with the most access to Father Michael Pfleger, has written a revealing collection of pieces on the Chicago priest’s latest controversy. (This is the latest story, but check out the “Complete Coverage” list left of the article for several others.) Falsani has also posted all of her articles on her blog; here’s the first one.
- Archbishop Tutu Weighs in on U.S. Presidential Race. My friend Linda Leigh Hargrove posted a great clip about South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s comments during a recent trip to Chicago. The link to the Tribune article in Linda’s post seems to have expired, but you should be able to get it here. Tutu offered some provocative thoughts about Barack Obama, Jeremiah Wright, and America’s need for reconciliation.
- Things Not to Say. My friend and colleague LaTonya Taylor passed this one along to me. It’s a collection of articles from DiversityInc magazine listing insensitive remarks one should avoid saying to members of various racial and cultural groups in the workplace. For example, never say to a Native American coworker: “How Indian are you?” Or try to steer clear of saying this to a white coworker: “There’s no way you, as a white person, could understand.” It might be risky to post about this one, but I’m curious to hear your reactions. Is this just more PC babble, or actually a helpful tool for navigating differences in society?
