My Race Relations Newspaper Columns
Racial Injustice on College Campuses - To be an inclusive community we must treat one another with respect even when we disagree vigorously about topics that matter deeply.
Remembering Nelson Mandela - Nelson Mandela was a global icon who truly made the world a better place.
Medgar Evers Freed White People Too - Mississippi is on the way to becoming the place he envisioned more than 50 years ago.
Remembering Mississippi's William Raspberry - He was born and raised in Okolona – an experience that made him a respected opinion writer about social issues, especially race and poverty.
"The Help" Shows We Have Unfinished Business - Am I my brother’s keeper? Who is my neighbor? Are we doing all we can to bridge the gap between where we are and where we ought to be? Are we aware of The Help we need with our unfinished business?
Mississippi Needs a Civil Rights Museum - There needs to be a place where students can come for a field trip, residents can bring their families, and tourists can come from out-of-state to learn about the details of the civil rights movement in Mississippi.
Confronting Personal Prejudice - For me, confronting my own prejudice has been a painful learning process. Like many white Mississippians, I grew up using the N word and not thinking twice about it. I lived in an insular world that didn’t recognize racism as an issue, much less a problem.
Dispelling the Myths of Racism - Racism. The very word itself conjures up many images, ranging from injustice toward minorities to unmerited claims for special treatment. In general, whites claim to be sick of hearing it, and blacks claim to be tired of experiencing it.
What We Don't Know Can Hurt Us - Our problem today is not one of people using the N-word and willfully discriminating against black people. This is not the 1950s when Jim Crow was the unquestioned cultural norm. It’s not even the 1980s, when affirmative action was necessary to overcome white resistance to black upward mobility. Our problem today is that we act on false assumptions that we don’t even know we have. Call them blind spots.
Remembering Medgar Evers - Today, Mississippi is a wonderful place to live. All of us – red and yellow, black and white – are the beneficiaries of the work of Medgar Evers. It is fitting that after 40 years we honor his life. Better late than never.
Racism Still a Thorny, Unresolved, Divisive Issue - The issue of race is important in Mississippi because it is related to those things we care about most: attracting economic development, improving educational opportunities, reducing crime, and reforming government. Progress in these areas depends directly on good race relations.
Buck O’Neil Celebrates Cool Papa Bell - Buck O’Neil has been called baseball’s greatest ambassador. He was the keynote speaker at Mississippi State University to help celebrate Cool Papa Bell Day. A native of Sarasota, Florida, Buck said he was born so far South, if he had stepped backwards he would have been a foreigner.
Remembering the Legendary Buck O'Neil - In 1999 Buck O’Neil came to Starkville to dedicate the historical marker honoring Cool Papa Bell, one of the first Negro League players inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. O’Neil had risen to national fame in 1994 (“discovered” at age 83) for retelling his entertaining stories in the documentary “Baseball” by director Ken Burns.
New Flag Needed to Overcome Image Problem - Mississippi has a serious image problem. Adopting a new state flag would go a long way toward changing the national perception of our state from negative to positive.
Flag Issue Pivotal for Race Relations - Symbols are important. Our state flag is a symbol of the kind of people we are. I am tired of being the national scapegoat when it comes to race relations. We are not the backward, racist society portrayed by others. The Mississippi I know is full of people who are kind, just, fair, and loving - in short, the best people in the world. It is time that our state flag reflects this reality.
Mississippi's Flag Vote Revisited - The controversy about the Confederate flag can be productive if Americans use it as a stepping-stone toward the unfinished business of racial reconciliation.
Tribute to Dr. Douglas Conner - Dr. Conner was a true American hero in the mold of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Conner was our community’s leading warrior against poverty and inequality, and the racism which lingers behind those conditions. He was truly a giant among us.
Coretta Scott King and Rosa Parks Leave Legacy - The deaths of Coretta Scott King this week and Rosa Parks mark the passing of two American icons. In a country whose history books mainly celebrate the deeds of white men – whose accomplishments I celebrate and do not denigrate – it is worth noting the significance of the impact of these two black women.
Remembering Nelson Mandela - Nelson Mandela was a global icon who truly made the world a better place.
Medgar Evers Freed White People Too - Mississippi is on the way to becoming the place he envisioned more than 50 years ago.
Remembering Mississippi's William Raspberry - He was born and raised in Okolona – an experience that made him a respected opinion writer about social issues, especially race and poverty.
"The Help" Shows We Have Unfinished Business - Am I my brother’s keeper? Who is my neighbor? Are we doing all we can to bridge the gap between where we are and where we ought to be? Are we aware of The Help we need with our unfinished business?
Mississippi Needs a Civil Rights Museum - There needs to be a place where students can come for a field trip, residents can bring their families, and tourists can come from out-of-state to learn about the details of the civil rights movement in Mississippi.
Confronting Personal Prejudice - For me, confronting my own prejudice has been a painful learning process. Like many white Mississippians, I grew up using the N word and not thinking twice about it. I lived in an insular world that didn’t recognize racism as an issue, much less a problem.
Dispelling the Myths of Racism - Racism. The very word itself conjures up many images, ranging from injustice toward minorities to unmerited claims for special treatment. In general, whites claim to be sick of hearing it, and blacks claim to be tired of experiencing it.
What We Don't Know Can Hurt Us - Our problem today is not one of people using the N-word and willfully discriminating against black people. This is not the 1950s when Jim Crow was the unquestioned cultural norm. It’s not even the 1980s, when affirmative action was necessary to overcome white resistance to black upward mobility. Our problem today is that we act on false assumptions that we don’t even know we have. Call them blind spots.
Remembering Medgar Evers - Today, Mississippi is a wonderful place to live. All of us – red and yellow, black and white – are the beneficiaries of the work of Medgar Evers. It is fitting that after 40 years we honor his life. Better late than never.
Racism Still a Thorny, Unresolved, Divisive Issue - The issue of race is important in Mississippi because it is related to those things we care about most: attracting economic development, improving educational opportunities, reducing crime, and reforming government. Progress in these areas depends directly on good race relations.
Buck O’Neil Celebrates Cool Papa Bell - Buck O’Neil has been called baseball’s greatest ambassador. He was the keynote speaker at Mississippi State University to help celebrate Cool Papa Bell Day. A native of Sarasota, Florida, Buck said he was born so far South, if he had stepped backwards he would have been a foreigner.
Remembering the Legendary Buck O'Neil - In 1999 Buck O’Neil came to Starkville to dedicate the historical marker honoring Cool Papa Bell, one of the first Negro League players inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. O’Neil had risen to national fame in 1994 (“discovered” at age 83) for retelling his entertaining stories in the documentary “Baseball” by director Ken Burns.
New Flag Needed to Overcome Image Problem - Mississippi has a serious image problem. Adopting a new state flag would go a long way toward changing the national perception of our state from negative to positive.
Flag Issue Pivotal for Race Relations - Symbols are important. Our state flag is a symbol of the kind of people we are. I am tired of being the national scapegoat when it comes to race relations. We are not the backward, racist society portrayed by others. The Mississippi I know is full of people who are kind, just, fair, and loving - in short, the best people in the world. It is time that our state flag reflects this reality.
Mississippi's Flag Vote Revisited - The controversy about the Confederate flag can be productive if Americans use it as a stepping-stone toward the unfinished business of racial reconciliation.
Tribute to Dr. Douglas Conner - Dr. Conner was a true American hero in the mold of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Conner was our community’s leading warrior against poverty and inequality, and the racism which lingers behind those conditions. He was truly a giant among us.
Coretta Scott King and Rosa Parks Leave Legacy - The deaths of Coretta Scott King this week and Rosa Parks mark the passing of two American icons. In a country whose history books mainly celebrate the deeds of white men – whose accomplishments I celebrate and do not denigrate – it is worth noting the significance of the impact of these two black women.