Gordon Parks (1912-2006). Untitled. Harlem, NY. 1963 via The National Arts Club 5. If you or a friend or family member is an educator, watch or share this video of Neil deGrasse Tyson speaking about his experience as a black student telling people he wanted to be a scientist and astrophysicist. Tyson’s experience reminds me of …
white people. do something. a letter from a leader.
June 1, 2020 Today, I write to you as a Black man and as President of Emerson College. There is no other way to write to you, given recent events. I didn’t sleep Friday night. Instead, I spent the night, like a moth drawn to a flame, looking again and again at …
Continue reading "white people. do something. a letter from a leader."
white people. do something. (4)
4. If you or a friend is an educator, buy said friend books that feature POC as protagonists and heroes, no matter the racial make-up of the class. A few good lists are here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. And/or purchase educational toys that feature POC, such as finger puppets, Black History Flashcards, etc for their classroom. Use these items …
white people. do something. (3)
Ok, Karen, Sharon, Becky, Jenny, let's get on the phone. 3. More and more stories of black folks encountering racism are being documented and shared through social media — whether it’s at a hotel, with the police, in a coffee shop, at a school, etc. When you see such a post, call the organization, company, …
white people. do something. (2)
2. Google whether your city or town currently employs evidence-based police de-escalation trainings. The racial make-up of your town doesn’t matter — This needs to be standard everywhere. Write to your city or town government representative and police chief and advocate for it. Multiply your voice by soliciting others to advocate as well, writing on …
white people. do something. (1)
I came across this article (posted below) on twitter yesterday and I am committing to doing all 75 of these suggestions. I will keep you posted on my progress and urge any and all of you to commit along with me. I quote Martin Luther King all the time-- “It may well be that we …
Silver Linings (69) The Music of Time
At a pre-covid dinner party, I made one of my usual off-hand provocative remarks a propos of I can't remember what. I said: "Well, of course, time doesn't really exist." This elicited skepticism and doubt and I launched into my usual minimally-informed blather about Einstein and Entropy. But I think in this very strange …
There is no silver lining today
Yesterday was another especially brutal day in the US in terms of racial justice. Or not. It's just we now have the videos to show what is simply another day for the black citizens of our country. Life-threatening harassment while bird-watching, being murdered for going on a run, police brutality ending in cruel death. Not …
Silver Linings (68) The Masked Birder in Central Park
Silver Linings (67) Gardens
Happy Memorial Day. This is from my run in Riverside Park. And thanks to the Royal Academy, here are some mini tours (under three minutes) through the gardens of Claude Monet at Giverny Pierre Bonnard at Vernonnet Emile Nolde in Seebull Max Liebermann in Wahnsee and Henri Le Sidaner in Picardy And for some meditative walks …
