Whiteness and Niceness

Thanks to Lucy for sending the article about whiteness and niceness.  It would be interesting to get our responses to the article on this site.  In case you missed it the article can be found at

http://formerlyunchurched.com/white-niceness-as-the-enemy-of-black-liberation/

When have I witnessed "Wisconsin Nice" getting in the way of social justice?t

The article states:
Most white people have a worldview that the playing field is level, (regarding white people and people of color) except for maybe in a few isolated circumstances.

Do I agree?

The article notes that when people say, "Black Lives Matter", many respond, "They should really say,
"All Lives Matter."

Have I seen or heard this?  How would I respond?

A great opportunity to come together

Thanks to fellow Madisonians for imaging the following way of bringing people of our various backgrounds together.

Please join us on June 10 for an interfaith Ramadan Break the Fast - Faith, Fasting, and Friendship! Bring a dish to share, a donation to Second Harvest Food Bank, and enthusiasm for meeting new people and learning about food and fasting in different faith traditions. Space is limited, so RSVP early!

Find the event on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/events/2001425446597292/

Or go directly to the Evite page and RSVP - http://evite.me/WmnzyAXFWA

The deadline is June 5, but space is limited, so don’t delay! A

Remember Native Americans are Human

Recently the name of Pocahontas was used to disparage a political leader.  The National Congress of American Indians responded as follows.  How do we stay awake to misuse of Native culture as we try to work for racial justice?

“NCAI is a bi-partisan organization that works equitably with both sides of the political aisle, and it is not our common practice to comment on the partisan name calling that has come to dominate American politics,” said NCAI Executive Director Jacqueline Pata. “But we cannot and will not stand silent when our Native ancestors, cultures, and histories are used in a derogatory manner for political gain.”

Pocahontas was a real person who to this day holds significant value to her family and her tribe, the Pamunkey Indian Tribe in Virginia. The Pamunkey struck a treaty with the British Crown in the 1600s, and just last year were officially recognized as a federally recognized tribe by the U.S. government after a decades-long struggle. The name of Pocahontas should not be used as a slur, and it is inappropriate for anyone to use her name in a disparaging manner.

Read the whole comment at 

http://www.ncai.org/news/articles/2017/05/03/ncai-condemns-president-trump-s-derogatory-use-of-pocahontas-name-in-political-attack

How Intersectionality Plays out for one Madisonian

 April’s Madison Magazine featured Muslims in Madison.  Five individuals speak to their experience. Fatoumata Ceesay gives a perspective of being both Muslim and Black.

 http://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/city-life/fatoumata-ceesay-uw-madison-student-19/397589487

“I’m part of two fights that are kind of similar,” says Ceesay. When she’s at a Black Lives Matter rally, she can bring the Muslim perspective; when she’s organizing for Islam, she can share her perspective as a black woman. “Black people here in the U.S. are treated so unfairly and, post-9/11, Muslims here have been treated incredibly horribly,” she says, pointing to President Trump’s policies regarding Muslims as an example. “Because of those injustices,” she says, “I want to help people who don’t have voices, to have their voices heard by the general public.”

From Ceesay’s perspective, Western women’s ongoing fight for equal rights, even the right to vote (which black women didn’t expressly have until the Voting Rights Act of 1965), seems “slow in catching on” compared to Islam, which she says has mandated women’s rights to education and their own money “literally since like the beginning of Islam.” Confronting stereotypes is part of why Ceesay, a Madison365 intern who has written pieces for Madison365.com highlighting social injustices—including one called “10 Things You Know About Islam That Are Wrong”—has chosen to pursue journalism, particularly photojournalism. Her hijab is a visual representation of her personal faith, and she hopes that when people see her wearing it, they’ll speak to her instead of stare. 

How am I welcoming diversity in my city?