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Black Students at the University of Chicago Lab High School pen an open letter to school to address diversity and racism on campus.

CHICAGO DEFENDER — As a school that repeatedly claims to “honor diversity,” Lab must address its own problems with racism and intolerance. If our vision as a school is to “strive to appreciate fully the role of diversity in education and to define the crucial and continuous commitments we must make as a community to foster diversity at the Laboratory Schools,” we need to actively work against the many problems we have had as a community regarding racist incidents. As we settle into a new decade, it is time to radically change Lab’s culture into one that is truly inclusive in all aspects of student life. While we acknowledge the effort to start a conversation about the recent events, having rules that are so transparent that they allow any racially based altercation to not be included on a record is counterproductive.

Published

4 years ago

January 20, 2020

Chicago Defender Staff

By Danielle Saunders, Contributing Writer, Chicago Defender

The University Of Chicago Lab School located in the Hyde Park neighborhood, is a private co-ed school affiliated with the University of Chicago. Recently named one of the top five STEM Schools in the nation, the elite private school has a black student population of about 9% with a little over 19% of the students identifying as multiracial. On Thursday, January 16^th, members of The Black Students Association read an open letter at their recent Martin Luther King assembly. The students outlined five areas of consideration for the University including reconsideration of the curriculum, more diverse faculty and students and comprehensive diversity training. This comes after a recent incident where a student posted a racist meme on social media.

An Open Letter to the Lab Community

As a school that repeatedly claims to “honor diversity,” Lab must address its own problems with racism and intolerance. If our vision as a school is to “strive to appreciate fully the role of diversity in education and to define the crucial and continuous commitments we must make as a community to foster diversity at the Laboratory Schools,” we need to actively work against the many problems we have had as a community regarding racist incidents. As we settle into a new decade, it is time to radically change Lab’s culture into one that is truly inclusive in all aspects of student life. While we acknowledge the effort to start a conversation about the recent events, having rules that are so transparent that they allow any racially based altercation to not be included on a record is counterproductive.

While we share pride in Lab’s attempts to promote diversity, this is still a deeply flawed and imperfect institution. Lab is a place where jokes about racial and religious identification have been normalized. A place where Black students get their hair gawked at and constantly touched without their permission as if they were animals in a petting zoo. A place where many students of color unfairly feel the need to internalize racist and harmful “jokes” in order to assimilate and survive. A place where we have to sit in classes and have people debate our own existence and identity while sitting demurely as a way to protect ourselves. None of these things are acceptable. We believe that this school has a great deal of potential to truly be a more safe, equitable, just, healthy, and inclusive environment for all students. Inspired by the call to action from students at the Collegiate Prep community this is our letter to the Lab school:

For the administration to create and swiftly enact specific consequences for the use of intolerant language and actions, regardless of a student or teachers financial background, donations, and long standing relationships between that person and the school. Currently, these actions are prohibited, but no specific punishments are outlined. Without set rules and swift action, it makes it extremely easy for racist and bigoted actions and words to be swept off as a “joke” or unimportant to our community. It also passively tells other students that these acts are not important and implies that it is okay to continue these acts and ideas. In addition, we ask that if a student who has an infraction stay in our community that there be a learning session implemented for the student to make sure they understand how and why their actions were harmful and inappropriate. We believe that students should be given a chance to redeem themselves and that incidents like these are prime teaching moments. However, the responsibility of educating students should not fall constantly on students of color. These punishments should be explicitly stated in the handbook so that no student can claim ignorance of their actions and the consequences.
For the administration to send a formal letter to the entire Lab community (students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, etc.) explicitly addressing recent events and condemning the use of hate speech. It is never too late to do so.
For the administration to explicitly denounce the use of slurs and derogatory terms in the school and to hold teachers responsible for making students accountable when these words and their variations are said.
To initiate and require more diversity, equity, and inclusion training for faculty, specifically centered around the use of course material that includes racism and other potentially harmful themes.
For the decision to read racial slurs in literary and historical texts addressed aloud and acknowledged that it is not okay to be said out loud. These discussions should have faculty members of color and students of color present.
• A careful reevaluation of the place of books such as “The Bluest Eye” and “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,” to name a few examples, in Lab’s English curriculum. The impact of these books on students of color that does not explicitly pertain to academic enrichment is often overlooked. Though amazing stories, much of the media we consume paints a very unbalanced depiction of the minorities involved. Not every Black girl is Pecola Breedlove, not every South Asian is Sanjeev or every Native American is Sherman Alexie. Although Shakespeare is the master of tragedies, every story involving a person of color should not be one. Thought-provoking, insightful, and awe-inspiring pieces are written by people of color every day that highlight the successes, joys and challenges of their identity. We will have no problem helping you find them.
• For books that focus on racism, and vernaculars such as AAVE (African-American Vernacular English) to be discussed as more than literary devices. These important cultural aspects should not be degraded to literary devices for entertainment and consumption of white people.
• For the use of disturbing images or videos depicting racist acts to be disclosed to students prior to them being shown, allowing students of color to prepare mentally, or choose not to view these images at all. Also media surrounding racism and hatred towards a specific race should not be presented in classes where only one student of that particular race is present. Having to act as a mouthpiece for your race can be a traumatic experience for many students of color.
• We would like to see the addition of courses focusing on LGBTQ+ and South American history offered in the History department. In order to live up to to Lab’s promise of “honoring diversity”, we must acknowledge the ways in which our school reflects the student body, in and outside of the classroom. Their history should not be confined to independent studies.
To curate a faculty and administration that more accurately reflects the diversity of the student body in terms of race, religion, ethnicity, gender expression and identity, political affiliation/alignment and sexual orientation. While we love, appreciate and admire Lab’s faculty and hold them in high regard, please recognize that there are more-than-capable and overqualified teachers out there from a plethora of underrepresented groups. Seek them out. It is detrimental to every student when their education lacks the frame of reference and point of view of teachers who are not cisgender heterosexual White men, in all departments. Lab has an amazing science department, yet considering that the school has a student body where 52% of people identify as female, we lack women science teachers, and the number of women of color in most departments is abysmal.
To admit more students of color. Latinx students make up only about 4% of the Lab community. Black students make up only about 9% of the Lab community. Multiracial students make up only about 19% of the Lab community. Asian students make up about 20% of the Lab community.
• The creation of a Student Academic Committee that will work with teachers to ensure a deeper and more inclusive curriculum. This committee will help curate a curriculum that features true diversity of thought. For example, looking for historians who are not white men and reading literature that doesn’t center Black people in the context of slavery, segregation, etc. We need a curriculum that ensures that we cover a myriad of cultures and religions in a non-Eurocentric way. We envision that this committee would be elected by upperclassmen during the same time as elections for Student Government. One or two upperclassmen would be elected per grade each year; once elected these students would not be permitted to run for re-election. The vision for this committee is flexible, but we believe that something along these lines is imperative to the betterment of every Lab student’s education.

In closing, we implore that this letter is understood as one piece of work as we do not have the option to leave our race at the door; it is a part of our existence and should not just be a topic to discuss. We understand that it can be tempting to allow one specific demand, example, or sentence to overshadow the entire letter. Please take time with this letter and read it multiple times. We do not intend that this letter have all the immediate solutions to the problems presented; we want this to be a first step in truly making a difference. This letter is our way of honoring Dr. Martin Luther King’s words “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” We will not sit by idly and watch Lab’s mission statement, the very words plastered on the walls of the school, become twisted and convoluted by the actions and behaviors normalized and perpetuated in this community. We believe that these are reasonable demands that will truly help us work towards a better Lab community.

No student, current or future, should have to experience Lab the way many of us have. No student should be desensitized to racism in the Lab community because it is such a common occurrence.

We will do everything in our power to make the Lab community better for our peers and every student of color that will come after us. We thank you for reading and listening to our requests. Finally, we look forward to continuing to work with the administration, faculty and fellow students in the future. (Uhighmidway.com)

The post Black Students at the University of Chicago Lab High School pen an open letter to school to address diversity and racism on campus. appeared first on Chicago Defender.

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Beloved Actor and Activist Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. Dies at 87

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Louis Gossett Jr., the groundbreaking actor whose career spanned over five decades and who became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his memorable role in “An Officer and a Gentleman,” has died. Gossett, who was born on May 27, 1936, in Brooklyn, N.Y., was 87. Recognized early on for his resilience and nearly unmatched determination, Gossett arrived in Los Angeles in 1967 after a stint on Broadway.
The post Beloved Actor and Activist Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. Dies at 87 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

March 29, 2024

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Louis Gossett Jr., the groundbreaking actor whose career spanned over five decades and who became the first Black actor to win an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his memorable role in “An Officer and a Gentleman,” has died. Gossett, who was born on May 27, 1936, in Brooklyn, N.Y., was 87. Recognized early on for his resilience and nearly unmatched determination, Gossett arrived in Los Angeles in 1967 after a stint on Broadway.

He sometimes spoke of being pulled over by law enforcement en route to Beverly Hills, once being handcuffed to a tree, which he remembered as a jarring introduction to the racial tensions of Hollywood. In his memoir “An Actor and a Gentleman,” Gossett recounted the ordeal, noting the challenges faced by Black artists in the industry. Despite the hurdles, Gossett’s talent shone brightly, earning him acclaim in groundbreaking productions such as “A Raisin in the Sun” alongside Sidney Poitier. His Emmy-winning portrayal of Fiddler in “Roots” solidified his status as a trailblazer, navigating a landscape fraught with racial prejudice.

According to the HistoryMakers, which interviewed him in 2005, Gossett’s journey into the limelight began during his formative years at PS 135 and Mark Twain Junior High School, where he demonstrated early leadership as the student body president. His passion for the arts blossomed when he starred in a “You Can’t Take It With You” production at Abraham Lincoln High School, catching the attention of talent scouts who propelled him onto Broadway’s stage in “Take A Giant Step.” His stellar performance earned him the prestigious Donaldson Award for Best Newcomer to Theatre in 1952. Though initially drawn to sports, Gossett’s towering 6’4” frame and athletic prowess led him to receive a basketball scholarship at New York University. Despite being drafted by the New York Knicks in 1958, Gossett pursued his love for acting, honing his craft at The Actors Studio under the tutelage of luminaries like John Sticks and Peggy Fury.

In 1961, Gossett’s talent caught the eye of Broadway directors, leading to roles in acclaimed productions such as “Raisin in the Sun” and “The Blacks,” alongside legends like James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Roscoe Lee Brown, and Maya Angelou. Transitioning seamlessly to television, Gossett graced small screens with appearances in notable shows like “The Bush Baby” and “Companions in Nightmare.” Gossett’s silver screen breakthrough came with his role in “The Landlord,” paving the way for a prolific filmography that spanned over 50 movies and hundreds of television shows. From “Skin Game” to “Lackawanna Blues,” Gossett captivated audiences with his commanding presence and versatile performances.

However, his portrayal of “Fiddler” in Alex Haley’s groundbreaking miniseries “Roots” earned Gossett critical acclaim, including an Emmy Award. The HistoryMakers noted that his golden touch extended to the big screen, where his role as Sergeant Emil Foley in “An Officer and a Gentleman” earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, making him a trailblazer in Hollywood history.

Beyond the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, Gossett was deeply committed to community activism. In 1964, he co-founded a theater group for troubled youth alongside James Earl Jones and Paul Sorvino, setting the stage for his lifelong dedication to mentoring and inspiring the next generation. Gossett’s tireless advocacy for racial equality culminated in the establishment of Eracism, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating racism both domestically and abroad. Throughout his illustrious career, Gossett remained a beacon of strength and resilience, using his platform to uplift marginalized voices and champion social change. Gossett is survived by his children, Satie and Sharron.

The post Beloved Actor and Activist Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. Dies at 87 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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COMMENTARY: D.C. Crime Bill Fails to Address Root Causes of Violence and Incarceration

WASHINGTON INFORMER — The D.C. crime bill and so many others like it are reminiscent of the ‘94 crime bill, which produced new and harsher criminal sentences, helped deploy thousands of police and surveilling methods in Black and brown communities, and incentivized more states to build prisons through a massive infusion of federal funding. While it is not at the root of mass incarceration, it significantly accelerated it, forcing a generation of Black and brown families into a never-ending cycle of state-sanctioned violence and incarceration.
The post COMMENTARY: D.C. Crime Bill Fails to Address Root Causes of Violence and Incarceration first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

March 27, 2024

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By Kaili Moss and Jillian Burford | Washington Informer

Mayor Bowser has signed the “Secure DC” omnibus bill passed by the D.C. Council last month. But we already know that this bill will be disastrous for all of D.C., especially for Black and brown residents.

While proponents claim that this legislation “will make D.C. residents safer and more secure,” it actually does nothing to address the root of the harm in the first place and instead maintains a cycle of violence, poverty, and broken community ties. The omnibus bill calls for increased surveillance, drug-free zones, and will expand pre-trial detention that will incarcerate people at a significantly higher rate and for an indeterminate amount of time before they are even tried. This bill will roll back decades of nationwide policy reform efforts and initiatives to keep our communities safe and whole, which is completely contradictory to what the “Secure” D.C. bill claims it will do.

What is unfolding in Washington, D.C., is part of a dangerous national trend. We have seen a resurrection of bad crime bills in several jurisdictions across the country — a phenomenon policy experts have named “zombie laws,” which are ineffective, costly, dangerous for communities of color and, most importantly, will not create public safety. Throwing more money into policing while failing to fund preventative measures does not keep us safe.

The D.C. crime bill and so many others like it are reminiscent of the ‘94 crime bill, which produced new and harsher criminal sentences, helped deploy thousands of police and surveilling methods in Black and brown communities, and incentivized more states to build prisons through a massive infusion of federal funding. While it is not at the root of mass incarceration, it significantly accelerated it, forcing a generation of Black and brown families into a never-ending cycle of state-sanctioned violence and incarceration. Thirty years later, despite spending billions each year to enforce these policies with many of these provisions remaining in effect, it has done very little to create long-term preventative solutions. Instead, it placed a permanent moving target on the backs of Black people, and the D.C. crime bill will do the same.

The bill calls for more pretrial detention. When our loved ones are held on pretrial detention, they are held on the presumption of guilt for an indeterminate amount of time before ever seeing a judge, which can destabilize people and their families. According to experts at the Malcolm Weimer Center for Social Policy at Harvard University, just one day in jail can have “devastating consequences.” On any given day, approximately 750,000 people are held in jails across the nation — a number that beats our nation’s capital population by about 100,000. Once detained, people run the risk of losing wages, jobs, housing, mental and health treatments, and time with their families. Studies show that pretrial detention of even a couple of days makes it more likely for that person to be rearrested.

The bill also endangers people by continuing a misguided and dangerous War on Drugs, which will not get drugs off the street, nor will it deter drug use and subsequent substance use disorders (SUDs). Drug policies are a matter of public health and should be treated as such. Many states such as Alabama, Iowa and Wisconsin are treating the current fentanyl crisis as “Crack 2.0,” reintroducing a litany of failed policies that have sent millions to jails and prisons instead of prioritizing harm reduction. Instead, we propose a simple solution: listen to members of the affected communities. Through the Decrim Poverty D.C. Coalition, community members, policy experts and other stakeholders formed a campaign to decriminalize drugs and propose comprehensive legislation to do so.

While there are many concerning provisions within the omnibus bill, car chases pose a direct physical threat to our community members. In July 2023, NBC4 reported that the D.C. Council approved emergency legislation that gave MPD officers the ability to engage in vehicular pursuits with so-called “limited circumstances.” Sgt. Val Barnes, the head of MPD’s carjacking task force, even expressed concern months before the decision, saying, “The department has a pretty strict no-chase policy, and obviously for an urban setting and a major metropolitan city, that’s understandable.” If our law enforcement officers themselves are operating with more concern than our elected officials, what does it say about the omnibus bill’s purported intention to keep us safe?

And what does it mean when the risk of bodily harm is posed by the pursuit itself? On Saturday, Feb. 10, an Eckington resident had a near-miss as a stolen car barreled towards her and her dog on the sidewalk with an MPD officer in pursuit. What responsibility does the city hold if this bystander was hit? What does restitution look like? Why are our elected officials pushing for MPD officers to contradict their own policies?

Just a few summers ago during the uprisings of 2020, we saw a shift in public perspectives on policing and led to legislation aimed at limiting police power after the highly-publicized murders of loved ones Breonna Taylor and George Floyd — both victims of War on Drugs policing and the powers gained from the ’94 crime bill. And yet here we are. These measures do not keep us safe and further endanger the health of our communities. Studies show that communities that focus on harm reduction and improving material conditions have a greater impact on public safety and community health. What’s missing in mainstream conversations about violent crime is the violence that stems from state institutions and structures that perpetuate racial and class inequality. The people of D.C. deserve to feel safe, and that includes feeling safe from the harms enacted by the police.

Kaili Moss is a staff attorney at Advancement Project, a national racial justice and legal organization, and Jillian Burford is a policy organizer at Harriet’s Wildest Dreams.

The post COMMENTARY: D.C. Crime Bill Fails to Address Root Causes of Violence and Incarceration first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Mayor, City Council President React to May 31 Closing of Birmingham-Southern College

THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES — “This is a tragic day for the college, our students, our employees, and our alumni, and an outcome so many have worked tirelessly to prevent,” Rev. Keith Thompson, chairman of the BSC Board of Trustees said in an announcement to alumni. “We understand the devastating impact this has on each of you, and we will now direct our efforts toward ensuring the smoothest possible transition for everyone involved.”
The post Mayor, City Council President React to May 31 Closing of Birmingham-Southern College first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

4 weeks ago

March 27, 2024

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By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times

Birmingham-Southern College will close on May 31, after more than a century as one of the city’s most respected institutions.

“This is a tragic day for the college, our students, our employees, and our alumni, and an outcome so many have worked tirelessly to prevent,” Rev. Keith Thompson, chairman of the BSC Board of Trustees said in an announcement to alumni. “We understand the devastating impact this has on each of you, and we will now direct our efforts toward ensuring the smoothest possible transition for everyone involved.”

There are approximately 700 students enrolled at BSC this semester.

“Word of the decision to close Birmingham Southern College is disappointing and heartbreaking to all of us who recognize it as a stalwart of our community,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said in a statement. “I’ve stood alongside members of our City Council to protect this institution and its proud legacy of shaping leaders. It’s frustrating that those values were not shared by lawmakers in Montgomery.”

Birmingham City Council President Darrell O’Quinn said news of the closing was “devastating” on multiple levels.

“This is devastating for the students, faculty members, families and everyone affiliated with this historic institution of higher learning,” he said. “It’s also profoundly distressing for the surrounding community, who will now be living in close proximity to an empty college campus. As we’ve seen with other institutions that have shuttered their doors, we will be entering a difficult chapter following this unfortunate development … We’re approaching this with resilience and a sense of hope that something positive can eventually come from this troubling chapter.”

The school first started as the merger of Southern University and Birmingham College in 1918.

The announcement comes over a year after BSC officials admitted the institution was $38 million in debt. Looking to the Alabama Legislature for help, BSC did not receive any assistance.

This past legislative session, Sen. Jabo Waggoner sponsored a bill to extend a loan to BSC. However, the bill subsequently died on the floor.

Notable BSC alumni include former New York Times editor-in-chief Howell Raines, former U.S. Sen. Howell Heflin and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Perry O. Hooper Sr.

This story will be updated.

The post Mayor, City Council President React to May 31 Closing of Birmingham-Southern College first appeared on BlackPressUSA.