Will This Get Logan Smith Shunned By The Progressives?

In a column raging about Twitter's 'I'm not racist but...' meme, he notes:

The most disturbing thing about @YesYoureRacist isn’t the racism itself. It’s that the people I retweet - the vast majority of which appear to be teenagers - genuinely don’t understand whether they’re being racist. It’s a generation that never had to grow up during the times of Jim Crow, civil rights marches or apartheid, and has never been confronted by the institutional racism that older generations saw on a daily basis. As a result, many teens seem to think racism simply means active hatred of another race, and not the apparent prejudices and stereotypes displayed by the people I retweet.

Good grief, Logan! Are you really saying that institutional racism is no longer a problem?

Wow! Some real heavy-hitters are going to be gunning for you...

Is It 'Cos I Is...? Pt 268974

Imara Jones (Who he? Why, none other than the economic justice contributor for Colorlines.com! Aren't you impressed?) on the awful injustice done to ... well, people with afros, I think:

Over the past year, "natural hair pat downs" have taken place with greater reported frequency. The fact that they occur at all underscores that America's post-racial future still has roots in its racist past.

With a twice-elected black man as the country's chief executive, how could the TSA get it so wrong?

So black Americans should be exempt from the stupid screening laws that everyone else has to undergo because Obama!

Yeah, right. Give him a call on your ObamaPhone and tell him about it, Imara...

Hey, Cameron's Cabinet Is Doing Something Right After All!

That 'something' being this:

A month ago, alarmed by moves to water down a key protection arising from Sir William Macpherson's inquiry into the death of her son, the campaigner wrote to the prime minister, the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, and the other major party leaders. She told the Guardian the letter had been ignored. An earlier communication seeking to establish relations with the coalition at the outset also went without reply.

Hurrah! Who the hell are you, and why should you think you have the ear of ministers? Hell, as DumbJon points out, even the business advisors don't get that...

"With the new government in, the whole thing around race has changed completely," said Lawrence, who will unveil a series of events on Wednesday to mark the 20th anniversary next year of Stephen's murder.

"Race is definitely not on the government's agenda. They have done away with the stop-and-search recording. Even before they came in, they talked about changing things, particularly on stop and search; that they would do away with the forms and they have done that. "I don't really understand it because we all want a society in which we can live safely and live freely and to have police officers doing what they need to do on the street. But when it comes to race, they feel as if they are doing us a favour rather than doing what is right."

If you really want a society in which you can 'live safely and live freely', Doreen, why don't you turn your attention to your own so-called 'community'?

Because it seems to me that the biggest killer of young black youth is....other young black youth.

Oh, and Andy Warhol says 'You've had more than 15 minutes, love!'. I guess the 'Guardian' will always be around to take your call, though...

OK Kids, Next Year, It's 'The Black And White Minstrel Show'..!

Pan-African human rights organisation Ligali complained to Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School, in High Barnet, over its use of a controversial Powerpoint presentation after a parent exposed the issue.

The slideshow, seen by the Times Series, dictates a classroom exercise in which pupils aged 13 and 14 are encouraged to carry out their own “slave raid” on the West African coast.

 Whoops!

Students are given imaginary tools including manacles, a whip, thumb screws and iron brands, to capture as many slaves as possible before building cages on the beaches to contain them.

They are encouraged to “bribe African chieftans” and “get them drunk to buy the slaves cheaper” or, as one slide reads, “even better, have an affair with a beautiful African girl”.

Finally, every pupil is asked to give a Dragon’s Den-style business proposal to explain how they plan to capture the slaves and what they will do to control them.

 Ligali, you see, found this 'morally repugnant and disrespectful'. And hey, they ought to know!

The slideshow, adorned with what Ligali described as comical caricatures and sound effects, has been used in Year 9 lessons by a history teacher at the school for the past three years.

 And no-one turned a hair, until...

Ligali’s action arose after one student, who has African heritage, was left “offended and humiliated” by the lesson plan, created by a teacher at the High Street school. Her mother complained, and after receiving what she deemed an unsatisfactory response from the history teacher and head of department, took the issue to Ligali.

 Because they specialise in, ummm, de-escalation and polite resolution of conflict, I guess?

The head teacher immediately capitulated, and rolled out the usual platitudes:

Speaking to the Times Series this week, Mrs Webster said she had written to parents explaining the situation. She said: “I felt the slideshow was clearly inappropriate and I spoke to the teachers involved but what I said will remain private.

“I’ve been in correspondence with Ligali and I think we’ve been very clear about the mistakes that have been made. The resolution was to move on in the knowledge that lessons have been learned.

“ Clearly mistakes have been made but we have acted properly and the matter has been resolved.”

Am I the only person to wonder if what Ligali found so 'upsetting and distressing' about these lessons was the revelation that it wasn't 'just white people' involved in the slave trade after all, but other (opposing) tribes of black people?