Happy birthday, Patsy Mink! The late 12-term Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii was the first Asian American woman and the first woman of color to be elected to Congress.
She was a co-author of Title IX, the law that forbids discrimination based on sex in federally-funded education, and served as Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans & International Environmental & Scientific Affairs in the Carter Administration.
Rest in power, Nelson Mandela.
Whoa, take it easy, Officer Friendly. Not a good look.
A couple things:
The HOB might be “a place of business” but it’s also a “public place” in the sense that the work of public servants happens there.
The fact that the adults had to tell the kids “you’re safe with us” and “you don’t have to cry” is really the saddest part of this video.
COMPRENDE? (Really, dude, that’s racist.)
Finally, Officer Friendly apparently has never considered that what’s getting really old is deportation, not children singing and prayer.
UGGH.
Why we support the fast food strikes, in one simple infographic:
Many of you may have seen this hipster racist party invite from Brooklyn party people Rubulad. NAPAWF-NYC and others raised some hell about it, and it looks like the message has gotten through:
Rubulad wishes to apologize for any recent cultural or racial insensitivity.
Rubulad has a 20-year history of inclusivity. We are – and we welcome – all kinds of people: all races, all ages, and all genders. Really. Most of the people who see our invites and come to our parties give us the benefit of the doubt. If we hold a theme party in October, they know it’s not for the purpose of mocking Germans who drink beer in leather shorts.
That said, some people thought our most recent party invitation was in bad taste and promoted racial stereotypes. That was not our intention. What we thought would be perceived as a kitschy and irreverent send up of archaic stereotypes was read as straight-up racism.
We made a mistake. We don’t want to promote racist stereotypes. Our events have always been about bringing a room full of people from different backgrounds to inspire one another in a creative community. And to dance to really good music. We use themes as a way of giving people a way to participate, as a way to be a part of an event together – not as permission to mock or make fun of anyone.
At the request of Asian-American advocates our upcoming party is no longer a themed event, and we will use caution in choosing themes in the future. They – and we – also request that you not wear Chinese or Asian-themed costumes to this week’s event. Please come as you are and dance and play and flirt with strangers. And forgive us for our mistake.
Also, please don’t be angry with Red Lotus Room. It’s not their party and they had nothing to do with our invitation.
Once again, we apologize. Sorry.
I hate to be a nitpicker, but if they’d just started with the third paragraph, it would have been a better apology. I was nevertheless impressed at how…earnest the thing is from there on out. Hm.
Lots of people have feels about the “Somewhere In America” video from Sheikh & Bake Productions. What are yours?
It’s here. A year after 200 New York City fast food workers walked off the job, workers in 100 cities across the country are staging the largest fast food labor action in history today.
When she first watched last year’s New York walkout, Travis told Salon, her question was, “Is it real? Are they going to make a difference?” But having watched the strikes spread, said Travis, “you see a reflection of yourself.” Travis, who’d never struck before today, has been visiting fellow fast food workers who live in her public housing complex to urge them to join her, and said others have shown up at her door wanting to know more about the strike. She said her organizing efforts have drawn attention from her store’s general manager, who told her in front of co-workers, “You’re crazy. Ain’t nothing gonna change.”
When is a squirrel holding a martini NOT a squirrel holding a martini?
When it’s Planet Money’s sample shirt, which they follow from cotton seed to factory to ship to Kickstarter supporter.
Al Jazeera America goes inside Adelanto, the privately run detention facility that three California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance organizers shut down on Nov. 25 by chaining themselves to the gate.
The photos are often frightening, brutal, but sometimes touching. See them all here.
“We’re gonna have to do more than talk. We’re gonna have to do more than listen. We’re gonna have to do more than learn. We’re gonna have to start practicing and that’s very hard.”
