- Captain Obvious says 3 in 10 Americans Admit to Race Bias http://tinyurl.com/48za2z #
- @urbanreporter Nice work on NPR fam. #
Archive for June, 2008
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-27
In Quick Notes on June 27, 2008 at 11:59 pmSuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-26
In Quick Notes on June 26, 2008 at 11:59 pm- Does Barack Obama owe Clarence Thomas? http://www.theroot.com/id/47016/ #
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-25
In Quick Notes on June 25, 2008 at 11:59 pm- New post at The SuperSpade: The SuperSpade on NPR\’s \’Day to Day\’ Thursday ( http://tinyurl.com/55rb75 ) #
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-24
In Quick Notes on June 24, 2008 at 11:59 pm- New post at The SuperSpade: Obama\’s victory and its implications ( http://tinyurl.com/6oagyj ) #
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-20
In Quick Notes on June 20, 2008 at 11:59 pm- New post at The SuperSpade: Obama does the right thing ( http://tinyurl.com/6k3wgv ) #
- New post at The SuperSpade: What Middle Ground? ( http://tinyurl.com/5z45tf ) #
- Did an interview with Youth Radio for NPR’s Day to Day show about Barack & Michelle Obama’s Terrorist Fist Bump. Should air late next week. #
What Middle Ground?
In Issues and Politics on June 20, 2008 at 3:27 pm
There is a disturbing trend happening in politics & political discussion today. In the name of compromise or searching for the “middle ground,” people doing nothing more than diluting their positions to the point where they are actually not positions at all.
What I’m saying is this: for the larger issues we face, there is no middle ground. That’s right. Most issues in today’s political discourse are simple binary, yes or no, support or no support questions. Read the rest of this entry »
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-19
In Quick Notes on June 19, 2008 at 11:59 pm- Does the nonexistent response to the flooding in the Midwest mean that BushCo is not only racist and classist, but criminally negligent? #
- New post at The SuperSpade: How you win matters ( http://tinyurl.com/555lqe ) #
- Should Obama have accepted public financing? He said he would before , but he didn’t. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25259863/ #
- Should Obama have accepted public financing? He said he would before , but he didn’t. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25259863/ #
- When Democrats say compromise, what they really mean is “I do what Republicans want.” http://tinyurl.com/3trjdh #
- Great Electronic Fronteir Foundation site about NSA wiretapping issues: http://www.stopthespying.org/ #
Obama does the right thing
In Issues and Politics on June 19, 2008 at 9:20 pmBreaking News: “Sen. Barack Obama on Thursday called and apologized to the two Muslim women who say they were told they could not stand behind the candidate at a rally in Detroit on Monday because they were wearing traditional hijab.”
Just yesterday, I wrote that Obama’s campaign wrong and that he needed to call these two women (one of whom I know incidentally) and apologize, so I will take some satisfaction in helping put pressure on Obama to do the right thing.
This is a teachable moment because for starters, how you campaign is a good indication of how you will govern. If Obama, through his campaign is willing to take the low road by offending the Arab-American community, then what would prevent him from doing so once he got elected? And contrary to popular belief, holding Obama’s feet to the fire will not cause him to lose the election.
In his stump speech, Obama tells people that he is a better candidate after going against Clinton in all fifty states (save MI and FL). In the same way, Obama will be a better candidate for making those two calls. Not for nothin’ we are talking about making two phone calls and I know Obama is busy but he ain’t THAT busy. And now, his campaign will be much more sensitive to offending various constituency groups not just during the campaign but translate these lessons into governing the country.
Why is it so outrageous for people to think that Obama should be held accountable to a higher and dare I say progressive standard?
Stay up fam,
Brandon Q.
How you win matters
In Issues and Politics on June 18, 2008 at 10:32 pmWhat’s up fam,
I went to the Obama rally that was held in Detroit and it was a great event. My homegirl Monique Perry (a fellow Detroit native I have known since high school and went to the University of Michigan with me) pumped up the crowd and encouraged folks to register and organize. Obama thanked her on national television. Let’s get em’ Mo and GO BLUE! Obama gave a relatively standard stump speech but it surely didn’t sound like one. The brother has conviction and I am happy to see him as the Democratic nominee.
However, I was grieved to learn that someone from Obama’s team “barred two Muslim women from sitting behind the podium by campaign volunteers seeking to prevent the women’s headscarves from appearing in photographs or on television with the candidate.” For context, the city of Dearborn which borders Detroit is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the country so you really can’t be in Detroit and avoid the Arab-American community. And can we way hijjab instead of headscarves? Ok, thanks.
Now if Obama personally called the Detroit reporter and apologized for calling her sweetie the same day the incident happened, his staff needs to find these women’s numbers and make sure Obama himself apologizes. I say that because anybody who knows me, knows that I am all about process and how you win is very important.
I actually think that Obama should have over-indulged himself in the Arab-American community to demonstrate that he is secure enough in himself to be photographed with Arab-Americans. Doing so would not only send a strong message to Arabs across the globe that we are all deserving of respect and it would help end the post-911 classification of the Arab community as “them”. This is a moment where the Obama campaign can continue to do the right thing and not what is politically expedient. How you win matters.
Stay up fam,
Brandon Q.
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-17
In Quick Notes on June 17, 2008 at 11:59 pmSuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-16
In Quick Notes on June 16, 2008 at 11:59 pm- Al Gore just endorsed Barack Obama. I actually thought he was going to remain silent. http://tinyurl.com/4awrbx #
- Does lawyer = judge? Specifically, what qualifies Hillary Clinton to be a Supreme Court Justice? #
- I think it’s interesting that Al Gore the environmental guy is announcing his Obama endorsement in Detroit, home of the Big 3. #
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-15
In Quick Notes on June 15, 2008 at 11:59 pm- New post at The SuperSpade: Happy Father\’s Day ( http://tinyurl.com/5g7uh9 ) #
Happy Father's Day
In Family on June 14, 2008 at 6:42 pmWhat’s up fam,
I wrote a letter to my Dad in honor of Father’s Day and I wanted the whole world to know how I feel about him.
Dad,
This Father’s Day, I wanted to share with you my thoughts on the evolution of our relationship and your impact on my life. A long, long time ago you, mom told you that she was pregnant and the baby was yours. I am sure like most men, your emotions ranged from fear to confusion to joy. In the end though, you manned up and never looked back. And when people ask me about my parents and why they are not married or your role in my life, I am always quick to let people know that there has never been a time when you were not in my life.
Always generous, gracious, and funny, I have adopted many of your mannerisms and I want you to see your best qualities amplified within me. Your being proud of me is a driving force in how I carry myself and strive to be a better person. I remember the picture of us that we took at that scholarship dinner in Southfield and I know you are not big on taking pictures, but this one is my favorite.
My earliest memory of you is the joy I felt at the sound of you jingling your keys as you walked toward the door on Biltmore. Between the familiar scent of Old Spice and a big hug, I was on cloud nine. Growing up, I don’t think I ever made a big deal about why you never married mom. Looking back though, our relationship would probably not be as unique if you and Mom got married because over the years, I have developed an ability to keep our relationship sacred regardless of what was happening between you and mom or whatever other drama was happening in my life.
And when I did cut up, you were always there to not only discipline, but to let me know everything would be alright. One memory that stands out was the week I lost my virginity. I felt horrible because I thought I let you down and there would be nothing I could do to regain your respect or favor. That Saturday, you and I went to a Men’s Prayer breakfast at Cobo Hall and I don’t remember who was speaking but I remember experiencing the Spirit of Peace.
On the way home, driving down Jefferson, I told you what happened between sobs and tears, telling you that I was sorry and I didn’t want to let you down. When I looked up, I saw tears coming down your eyes and I never saw you cry before. When we got home, we talked…and we shared like we never had and before you left, you told me you loved me and proud that I told you what happened and you gave me a huge hug and $20. To this day, I don’t see what I did to deserve any money whatsoever but it was your way of letting me know that our relationship was strong and everything would be alright. I will never forget that experience Dad, thank you.
As I got older, we developed a passion for playing pool that would become our pastime where all is well with the world. Most days we play, there is next to no conversation but the silent bonding that takes place over pool is so great that I can’t really put it into words. I just hope my kids will want to play pool too!
Always there, you were instrumental in making sure I had opportunities that really shaped my life for the better. I was the only guy on the block with a skateboard and when I made drum sticks out of pant hangars, you bought me a drum set. You taught me to play tennis even helped me get lessons. The only reason I carry handkerchiefs is because of you. If I was hungry, there was no where you wouldn’t take me and Wendy’s was the frequent destination. When I told you about my trip to England, I expected you to say no but much to my surprise you said yes and to this day, I am still grateful for your sacrifice.
I am eternally grateful for your guidance, friendship, and your love. When I thought about Tim Russert’s passing away, I was painfully reminded of how precious life is. Dad, I love you and I cherish our relationship and I am so proud to call you Pops!
Happy Father’s Day
Love,
Brandon Q. White
P.S. Don’t tell Mom this, but even though I know I look more like her, I have always wanted someone to tell me, “You look just like your Dad.”
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-13
In Quick Notes on June 13, 2008 at 11:59 pm- An art exhibit on character assassination. http://www.theassassinationofbarackobama.com/ #
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-12
In Quick Notes on June 12, 2008 at 11:59 pm- Obama is now actively fighting smears. I love it. http://fightthesmears.com #
- New post at The SuperSpade: NCMR Panel: Where we\’ll take it ( http://tinyurl.com/62yoc7 ) #
- The rule of law was upheld for Guantanamo Bay detainees (http://tinyurl.com/5mgafg). Now we just need it to be upheld for Black people. #
NCMR Panel: Where we'll take it
In Multimedia on June 12, 2008 at 10:11 amFree Press has put up the audio of my panel from the National Conference for Media Reform. It’s 1 hour and 15 minutes long.
Enjoy.
One Love. One II.
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-11
In Quick Notes on June 11, 2008 at 11:59 pm- New post at The SuperSpade: Impeach the President: Why not? ( http://tinyurl.com/5japst ) #
- Will Obama support impeachment? Vote at http://tinyurl.com/6r46oh #
- New post at The SuperSpade: Garlin writing at Social Media for Social Change ( http://tinyurl.com/5pn3o4 ) #
- Audio of my NCMR panel is up: http://www.freepress.net/node/41426 #ncmr #
- New post at The SuperSpade: Rethinking policy advocacy: what rights do we actually have? ( http://tinyurl.com/5qowm7 ) #
And you thought gas was high, what about the food?
In Environment, Issues and Politics on June 11, 2008 at 10:35 pmWhat’s up fam,
The price of gas is comfortably over $4 and is not expected to come down soon. We are at the point where you need to buy gas cap locks to keep people from siphoning off your gas. People are breaking even just to go to work and this is even more pressing for places like Metro-Detroit where you don’t have a reliable and efficient mass transit infrastructure. However, the MS M focus on the price of gas ignores a more sinister problem; hunger. The price of gas is probably more important than Obama getting the nomination as Fred Pearce from the Yale Environment reports,
“food prices have been soaring this year, causing more misery for the world’s poor than any credit crunch. The geopolitical shockwaves have spread round the world, with food riots in Haiti, strikes over rice shortages in Bangladesh, tortilla wars in Mexico, and protests over bread prices in Egypt.” Read the rest of this entry »
Rethinking policy advocacy: what rights do we actually have?
In Issues and Politics on June 11, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Let me preface this post by saying that I’m not a lawyer, nor have I ever tried to be one. The following is a lay person’s interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, so any/all lawyers are more than welcome to jump in and add to/correct this interpretation.
On the plane back from the National Conference for Media Reform, I had a discussion with a labor attorney who also attended the conference and was from Seattle. Among other things, he told me the following:
The Constitution only grants one right: the right to bear arms [the 2nd amendment]. Everything else described in the document is essentially a limit on the government, not the granting of a particular right.
I thought that was really fascinating if it was true. If that is the case, then we really need take a hard look at how we talk about our “rights,” and about how we defend, ensure, and advocate for those “rights.” By telling me this, he almost made me want to quit my job and apply to law school as soon as I deplaned. Read the rest of this entry »
Garlin writing at Social Media for Social Change
In The SuperSpade on June 11, 2008 at 3:03 pmI want to give you all a heads up on a new site that I’ll be writing for called Social Media for Social Change.
I came across the site’s founder, Michelle Riggen-Ransom, while reading about her debate with a technology on whether true altruism actually existed. I emailed her after reading about that discussion, and let her know that I was interested in working with her to create a meaningful dialogue within the tech community on Social Media for Social Change. I’m looking forward to making that happen.
You can read my intro post on the site here. I’ll let you know when I post up there and provide links, but I encourage people to check Michelle’s site out and add it to their reading list.
One Love. One II.
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-10
In Quick Notes on June 10, 2008 at 11:59 pm- New post at The SuperSpade: National Conference for Media Reform 2008 Wrap-up ( http://tinyurl.com/5lqrkh ) #
- Dennis Kucinich introducing articles of impeachment against Bush & Cheney right now! #
- Dennis Kucinich introducing articles of impeachment against Bush & Cheney right now! #
- Will Obama support impeachment? My money says he won’t. #
- Fox News thinks dap is an act of terrorism. They called it a “Terrorist Fist Bump.” Wow. #
- New post at The SuperSpade: Dap as an act of terrorism? ( http://tinyurl.com/5a4n82 ) #
- @baratunde @randomdeanna Yup, Black thought = terrorism
http://tinyurl.com/5eghvy # - Articles of Impeachment on VP Dick Cheney: http://www.wexlerforcongress.com/kbill.asp #
- Articles of Impeachment on President George Bush: http://chun.afterdowningstreet.org/amomentoftruth.pdf #
Impeach the President: Why not?
In Issues and Politics on June 10, 2008 at 6:48 pmLast night, Dennis Kucinich introduced a resolution that included 35 articles of impeachment against George W. Bush. Why no one had the wherewithal to do this earlier is beyond me. Wait, I guess Kucinich did introduce articles of impeachment against Cheney last year, but that resolution didn’t get far.
I met some folks from the Backbone Campaign while in Minneapolis this past weekend. This made me think of them because I doubt that very many House Reps. will have the audacity to stand with Kucinich. I also wonder if any Senators will show support. Three people specifically come to mind here:
- Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House: She said that impeachment was off the table. Will she stick by this nonsense?
- John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee: This committee would handle the proceedings, should they take place. Will he challenge Pelosi and live up to his reputation as a protector of the law?
- Barack Obama, Senator & presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee: Will he go out on a limb and show support for Kucinich’s resolution? If not, will he say why he won’t? My guess is that he’ll make no statement on this, especially not one in support.
What do you think?
Should the House accept Dennis Kucinich’s impeachment resolution? (click to vote Yes or No. Currently 176 people say No (46%) and 207 say Yes (54%))
WIll Barack Obama make a statement in support of Dennis Kucinich’s impeachment resolution? (click to vote Yes or No. Currently 161 people say No (55%) and 131 say Yes (45%))
One Love. One II.
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-09
In Quick Notes on June 9, 2008 at 11:59 pmNational Conference for Media Reform 2008 Wrap-up
In Issues and Politics, The SuperSpade on June 9, 2008 at 8:21 pmI’m not back in Seattle after attending the Free Press National Conference for Media Reform in Minneapolis, MN this past weekend.
There were lots of interesting panels and compelling speakers, my favorite of which being:
- How Independent Media Creates Change, which featured my friend and Brave New Films founder, Robert Greenwald.
- Power in Your Pocket: Cell Phones and Social Change, which I loved because it talked about how cell phone technology can be used as an organizing tool.
- News for the People: Can Black Radio provide the News we need? because it featured my friend and mentor Bruce Dixon‘ along with the brilliant Dr. Jared Ball.
But the most valuable part of the conference was the opportunity to meet so many great people in the hallways, at the parties, and around the city. I met folks I’d only worked with online, and others for the first time. These people I met and interacted with for the first time in person included:
- Friend and fellow Black blogger Baratunde
- Black blogging pioneer Chris Rabb of Afro-Netizen
- Veteran activist and writer Bruce Dixon
- Feminist blogger Samhita Mukopadhyay of Feministing
- Freelance journalist Kristal Brent Zook
- Award-winning journalist George Curry
- Popular liberal blogger Atrios
- Many, many more…
I also was on a panel Sunday morning called Where We’ll Take It: Young Leaders on the Future of Media. I was on the panel with Jenny Lee from Detroit Summer and 2 other young activists (I was actually the oldest member of the panel). It was a very passionate discussion, and one that was extremely well received by the large audience that attended. I spoke mainly on the importance of localization and new media focusing more on local news and stories, as well as the rise of Black activism online. As soon as Free Press sends me the audio and the video, I’ll put it up on the site. (UPDATE: The audio is here.)
I enjoyed myself, I enjoyed my panel, and I enjoyed interacting with all of the great people I met. This conference has great energy, even better than last year’s. Though it still has a long way to go as far as having more people of color in attendance, they better on that than they did last year as well. All in all, this was a definite step in the right direction.
Throughout the coming year, I’ll be doing more media reform work with Free Press, and I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.
One Love. One II.
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-08
In Quick Notes on June 8, 2008 at 11:59 pm- Changing an old post: ( http://tinyurl.com/6qau4o ) #
- Changing an old post: ( http://tinyurl.com/6qau4o ) #
- Wrapping up the talking points for tomorrow’s session: http://www.freepress.net/node/39072 #
- Changing an old post: SuperSpade Quick Notes ( http://www.thesuperspade.com/?p=1505 ) #
- Still writing that new post called SuperSpade Quick Notes… #
- Changing an old post: SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-07 ( http://tinyurl.com/6qau4o ) #
- Ready to knock out this panel this morning. http://www.freepress.net/node/39072 #
- NCMR was absolutlely crazy. My panel started shaky and ended strong. Great people and great ideas make great conferences. #ncmr #
SuperSpade Quick Notes Summary for 2008-06-07
In Quick Notes on June 7, 2008 at 11:59 pm- Day one is done. The best part of these conferences is the networking. It was cool meeting blacknetaction folks in person. #ncmr #
- Text messaging is not going to be a valid fundraisng tool for a while unless someone writes good tools for it. That person could be me. #
- Does the netroots REALLY give a voice to “regular” people, or does it give voice to a different set of people. The 2 are NOT the same. #
- @baratunde I agree that people have a responsibility to hold up their end of the investment in Barack Obama. #
- News 4 The People: 5 minutes of radio per hour. Small ask. Big difference. Good idea. #
- Looking forward to this Organizing for Change on the Social Web with my man Chris Rabb, @ruby, @craignewmark, moderated by @randomdeanna. #
- @ruby just used the term “network-centric advocacy” to describe using social media to create change. It’s a good way to characterize it. #
- Another term from the Organizing for Change on the Social Web (http://snurl.com/2eh8g): cultural accupuncture, or applying focused pressure. #
- A Black, family-owned news paper that has been family owned for 5 generations: http://www.afro.com. That is inspirational. #ncmr #
- Another term: digital capital. It’s the value of your online social relationships. Term coined by Chris Rabb (http://afro-netizen.com). #
Barack Obama: Nominee
In Issues and Politics on June 4, 2008 at 1:52 amYes, The SuperSpade is brand new again. I’ll write about that specifically later, but I am elated that the first post on this new website is about a genuine Black History, American History moment.
[After giving his wife dap,] Barack Obama stepped to the podium and declared himself the undisputed [by everyone except Hillary Clinton] Democratic nominee for the President of the United States. In the same moment, he made broad statements about who he is, what he wants, and what he believes, and coupled those with thanks to Hillary Clinton and harsh words for hs Republican opponent, John McCain. I actually don’t think it was his best speech of the campaign thus far. But nevertheless, on the biggest night of his political life, he did not disappoint.
