Category: Race

Pilot plays race card

One of the things that you can count on when it comes to the Virginian-Pilot is their crusade to paint Norfolk Vice Mayor Paul Riddick as the worst person - bar none - in the city. As I look back over the reports of the Pilot over the years Riddick has served on council, I … Continue reading Pilot plays race card →

Norfolk NAACP received threatening letter

The Norfolk branch of the NAACP was one of three branches to receive threatening letters from Baton Rouge, LA. Included in the letters to the Baltimore and New York branches was a white powdrey substance, which the Baltimore office identified as boric acid. It is unknown if Norfolk's letter contained the powdrey substance. The FBI … Continue reading Norfolk NAACP received threatening letter →

Racism and one solution

I have started and restarted a post on racism for this blog too many times to count. Trying to figure out a way to talk about a subject that is often the elephant in the room without instigating a ferocious battle is difficult, if not impossible. So much of the status of race and racism … Continue reading Racism and one solution →

“I understand that racism still lingers in America”

So said President George Bush in his address to the NAACP today, his first visit to the annual convention during his 5 years as president. "I understand that racism still lingers in America," Bush told the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "It's a lot easier to change a law than to change … Continue reading “I understand that racism still lingers in America” →

Former Christian Coalition Exec Reed loses primary

Ralph Reed, who presided over the Christian Coalition (formerly based in Chesapeake) in its heyday has lost his bid to become the Republican nominee for Lt. Gov. in Georgia. Reed, who left the Coalition and started his own consulting firm, was at one time considered a rising star in the Republican Party and was the … Continue reading Former Christian Coalition Exec Reed loses primary →

Norfolk school board to have black majority

I can't tell you how surprised I was that to read that the Norfolk City Council has appointed a majority black school board. Everyone quoted in the article tried to downplay the significance of this: Fraim said race was not discussed in the closed session. "Race might be an issue for some, but it wasn't … Continue reading Norfolk school board to have black majority →

Blacks and Maryland politics

There's another Senate race going on right now, one in Maryland which pits former NAACP president Kweisi Mfume against Rep. Ben Cardin. The winner of the September 12 primary will face Republican Lt. Governor Michael Steele to replace retiring Senator Paul Sarbanes. From what I have read, Mfume jumped into this race three days after … Continue reading Blacks and Maryland politics →

Role models

Last week, I ran across this article about blacks needing to pick the right role models. One section seemed tojump out at me: Historians have noted that before Rosa Parks became the mother of the civil rights movement, at least two other women had been arrested for challenging segregation laws. But boycott organizer E.D. Nixon … Continue reading Role models →

NAACP to challenge IRS in Federal Court

Not sure how I missed this. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced today that it is taking steps to challenge in federal court the Internal Revenue Service's threat to revoke the NAACP's tax-exempt status because its Chairman, Julian Bond, criticized the Bush administration's policies in a speech in 2004. If … Continue reading NAACP to challenge IRS in Federal Court →

DYK: Norfolk’s Ward System

An earlier comment by a poster reminded me that I needed to write a piece on the ward system. Come May, the ward system in place in Norfolk since 1992 will change slightly, expanding from its current seven members to eight with the election of a mayor. The mayor will be elected at-large, meaning he … Continue reading DYK: Norfolk’s Ward System →