Basic Black Blog
May 19 2012
Black ministers follow Obama
Guest Editorial by Rev. Irene Monroe African-American ministers have come out for, and against, Obama’s stance on marriage equality. LGBTQ activists of African descent have pondered what would be the catalyst to rally those African-American Christian ministers to support same-sex marriage and engage the black community in a nationwide discussion. Last week the answer arrived read full article
Apr 20 2012
We are Trayvon Martin: LGBTQ and African Americans united by murder
Guest Editorial by Rev. Irene Monroe What does Trayvon Martin??s murder have to do with gay civil rights protection? The quick answer: The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act (mostly known by Matthew Shepard??s name). And this might be the only option the Florida Justice Department has in moving forward to read full article
Apr 13 2012
The Hunger Games’ young racist fans
Guest editorial by Rev Irene Monroe There??s a frenzy surrounding the blockbuster film and book The Hunger Games. But the fan attention around the movie has taken a decidedly different turn from the fervor the book caused. The schism originates from the difference between reading ?? where one??s visual images of characters can be both read full article
Mar 23 2012
One of the tallest trees in our forest
Guest Editorial by Rev. Irene Monroe This month around the country LGBTQ communities will be celebrating Bayard Rustin??s 100th birthday anniversary. Next month, AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts will have their annual Bayard Rustin Breakfast. And, last month, “State of the Re:Union,” a nationally aired radio show distributed by NPR and PRX was awarded first read full article
Mar 01 2012
Maid In America
Guest Editorial by Rev. Irene Monroe When Viola Davis lost the Oscar for best actress portraying an African American maid in Katherine Stockett??s The Help to Meryl Streep portraying former Britain Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony, there was a collective sigh of relief from many of read full article
Mar 01 2012
Announcing the 2012 White House Easter Egg Lottery
For your amusement, procrastination moment, to do list, pondering and otherwise… I didn’t know dogs could do this but when you’re the First Dog I guess anything is possible:). Valerie Linson Editor
Feb 29 2012
Inside the groundbreaking of the future National Museum of African American History and Culture
Feb 28 2012
Perhaps the most dangerous black gay man
Guest Editorial by Rev. Irene Monroe Cleo Manago is despised by some in the LGBTQ community. Descriptors like ??homo demagogue,?? contrarian, separatist, and anti-white are just a few that can be expressed in polite company. But to a nationwide community of same-gender loving (SGL), bisexual, transgender and progressive heterosexual African American men, Manago is the read full article
Feb 16 2012
Election Laws Need Overhaul
Guest Editorial by Kevin C. Peterson EXCERPT: The Massachusetts Legislature recently accomplished what few believed was possible. With a singular commitment to broadening democracy in the state, it adopted a fair and comprehensive redistricting plan. For this achievement, members of the Legislature should be lauded. After all, the body??s history regarding redistricting has been a read full article
Feb 03 2012
Is Black History Month Still Necessary?
Guest Editorial by Kevin C. Peterson In a country that has elected the first African-American president, is there really still a need for Black History Month? For some within the black community the question is rhetorical: the foregone conclusion being that dedicating a month solely to Afro-American history is essential to preserving a collected knowledge read full article
Basic Black Featured Video
Basic Black
Basic Black: A Look at Secure Communities; Race in the Classroom
(Originally broadcast May 18, 2012)The Secure Communities program is now officially in place in Massachusetts, despite objections from many state officials, including Governor Deval Patrick. Under Secure Communities, fingerprints from local jails are matched against a federal immigration database; Immigration and Customs Enforcement then the local jail detain people they think are here illegally. Supporters of the program see it as a tool in the fight against crime while opponents charge that the program encourages ethnic profiling.
Later in the show, we turn the discussion to race in education. In Boston, three City Councillors are pushing for more teachers of color and the integration of black and Latino studies into the curriculum. Basic Black poses the question: does the race of a teacher matter in learning the fundamentals? On a national level, last week there was a huge controversy about an article written in the Chronicle of Higher Education which advocated for elimination of Black Studies as a course of study in colleges and universities; the author described black studies as "left-wing victimization clap-trap." 6,500 petition signatures later, the author was fired. But what were the real lessons of this episode?







