Uppity Wisconsin
Making Wisconsin Progressive Again
Michael Jackson
Sat, 06/27/2009 - 4:20pm | thomasjasen
That was beautifully said. There is an ignorance about Michael Jackson in contemporary America that bears no relationship to the impact that this human being had upon the world. Watching MSNBC's liberal newscasters simply categorize Jackson as a weird demented icon was heart wrenching. They destroyed my image of a passionate and empathetic news station and cruelly reminded me of FOX's discriminatory coverage of O.J. Simpson. This deja vu constantly reminds black people that in the eyes of white liberals we are a guilty headline to be exploited by the CEO's of corporate advertisers. MSNBC's coverage was not an honorable memorial, but a lynching party with a Vanity editor tying the hangman's noose by the dim light of hyperbole from seasoned newscasters.
You're right, meaningful liberals are all too eager to march to the distant sounds of apathy because they can step over the pig manure they historically permeated in their own back yard. Thanks for being you.
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Tags: Afro-American, fox, liberal, michael jackson, msnbc, red-neck news
On A May-December Romance, Part Two, Or, Las Vegas, Integrated
Tue, 05/12/2009 - 6:25am | fake consultant
Moulin Rouge.
The mention of that name, in the right circles, brings back a flood of associations.
Among them: a famous cabaret in Gay Paree, a Nicole Kidman movie rich in costume and set design and…well, a movie, anyway; or, if you really know your films, perhaps the association is with the 1952 John Huston “biography” film of the same name.
The one association that might not quickly come to mind, even though it should: ground zero in a battle that led to the desegregation of Las Vegas.
Today’s story will fill in the blanks that you might have regarding that association—and by the time we’re done, we’ll have covered, just as we promised last time, the 55-year history of a place that began in 1955, lasted for not quite six months, and ended just last week…maybe.
It’s another one of those American history stories you never heard before, and it’s well worth the telling…so let’s get right to it.
“Last year people won more than one billion dollars playing poker.
African-American Summit
Tue, 04/28/2009 - 5:36pm | xoff
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Summit Probes Need for Economic Justice
Location: Laborers Local 113 Hall. 6310 W. Appleton Ave.
Times are tough. But without justice, the plight of workers cannot change. These are among the lessons for workers of all colors and wages behind the 7th annual African American Labor & Community Summit, held from 9 a.m. into the early afternoon Saturday, May 2, at Laborers Local 113 Union Hall, 6310 W. Appleton Ave.
The theme – “. . . the price of hamburger – Economic Justice in Difficult Economic Times” – is taken from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who once noted: “What does it benefit a man to sit at an integrated lunch counter if he can’t afford the price of a hamburger?”
Speakers and networking will take place the entire summit, starting with registration and a continental breakfast at 9 a.m. and concluding after 1 p.m. with a lunch, discussions and adjournment. The food and special materials are included in the registration fee, $15 regular and $10 students.
For more information, call Jay Reinke, AFL-CIO Community Services liaison at (414) 771-9828, jayaflcio
sbcglobal [dot] net, or Sheila Cochran, MALC secretary-treasurer, (414) 771-7070, sheilamilwaukeelabor [dot] org
Summit Probes Need for Economic Justice
Location: Laborers Local 113 Hall. 6310 W. Appleton Ave.
Times are tough. But without justice, the plight of workers cannot change. These are among the lessons for workers of all colors and wages behind the 7th annual African American Labor & Community Summit, held from 9 a.m. into the early afternoon Saturday, May 2, at Laborers Local 113 Union Hall, 6310 W. Appleton Ave.
The theme – “. . . the price of hamburger – Economic Justice in Difficult Economic Times” – is taken from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who once noted: “What does it benefit a man to sit at an integrated lunch counter if he can’t afford the price of a hamburger?”
Speakers and networking will take place the entire summit, starting with registration and a continental breakfast at 9 a.m. and concluding after 1 p.m. with a lunch, discussions and adjournment. The food and special materials are included in the registration fee, $15 regular and $10 students.
For more information, call Jay Reinke, AFL-CIO Community Services liaison at (414) 771-9828, jayaflcio
sbcglobal [dot] net, or Sheila Cochran, MALC secretary-treasurer, (414) 771-7070, sheilamilwaukeelabor [dot] orgOn A May-December Romance, Part One, Or, Las Vegas, Segregated
Mon, 04/13/2009 - 11:57pm | fake consultant
There may be no more recognizable icon of “Retro-Cool” than that photograph of the Rat Pack standing in front of the marquee at The Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.
They’re right there, lined up in front of their own giant names on the marquee: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop.
Night after night they would gather with friends such as Shirley MacLaine, Angie Dickinson, and Johnny Carson, to deliver some of the greatest nightclub performances in entertainment history.
Today’s story, however, focuses on what happened after the show: when four of those five could leave the showroom, drink at the bar, gamble at the casino, and go upstairs to their rooms.
In a town sometimes known as the “Mississippi of the West”, however, one of those five performers could not do any of those things.
Our Journey In Two Parts literally crosses over to the “wrong side of the tracks”, tells a story of segregation overcome, and recounts the six-month history of a Las Vegas hotel that has a 55-year history: the Moulin Rouge.
“...We boast of the freedom enjoyed by our people above all other peoples.
On Reconsidering Racism, Or, This Ain't Grandpa's America
Sat, 04/04/2009 - 7:10am | fake consultant
We have a story today that is a big-time reminder of how things have changed in America...and it’s all inspired by a book of jokes.
I am often prowling thrift shops looking for interesting things, and I came across a 1946 copy of “10,000 Jokes, Toasts, And Stories” (edited by Lewis and Faye Copeland), which contains a section of jokes entitled “Races and Nations”...which contains a subsection entitled “Negro”.
We are going to examine some of those jokes...and the world in which those jokes resided.
I warn you now: it will be highly unpleasant; but as we come out the other side the goal will be to show that what was not only acceptable, but commonplace, not so very long ago, would be considered wildly unacceptable today—and that we are a better people for the change.
On Ruling The Arctic Frontier, Part Two, Or, There's Stormier Weather Ahead
Mon, 03/16/2009 - 1:27pm | fake consultant
In order to complete today’s story we return to travelling the seas around the High Arctic...and in telling the first half of the story we were introduced to a sea captain and his parrot, we examined the destruction of a tribal village by United States Marines—and we learned that “tricing up” someone is not some kind of weird dating ritual.
The story has already raised questions of race and culture; and as we move forward it’s going to encompass whaling, an incredible rescue, and more personal trials and tribulations—not to mention the Brewery Worker’s Union—and if all that wasn’t enough, we’ll even bring in a few thousand reindeer to round the whole thing out.
So put on your caribou fur, clean up your sled runners--and let’s head north to Alaska, before the rush is on.
Those of you who were with us last time will recall that we are telling an epic tale of 19th Century Alaska...and for those of you who were not, let’s bring you up to date:
Captain Mike “Hell-Roaring” Healy, possibly the most influentia
Detective Sensenbrenner and the Flood Aid Police
Thu, 06/26/2008 - 4:57pm | coryatown
Congressman F. Jim Sensenbrenner must have way too much time on his hands. He must be spending it reading all of the right wing blog hysteria over flood victims in Milwaukee actually getting aid. Earlier this week people in Milwaukee’s central city stood in line to get food vouchers. There was apparently some confusion and frustration at the site which led to some pushing and shoving prompting a police response. After the incident right wing bloggers went completely nuts. Suddenly they declared the incident a full blown “riot” even though it had very few of the traits that one would associate with an actual riot.
Next they started overanalyzing pictures in the paper, doing fashion checks on those that stood in line. They began to show outrage because some of the people seeking aid actually had cell phones. Oh the horror! They even went to another sleazy low by commenting on the flood victim’s weight, and wondering why they would need food. It has really been a disgusting display feeding into all of the same racist stereotypes that apparently still plague our society. Now F. Jim Sensenbrenner has decided to jump in, trying to give some legitimacy to many of the fowl things being said on the right.
Debate over black incarceration rate rages
Fri, 09/28/2007 - 8:36am | xoff
The Wisconsin Policy Research Institute's article by John McAdams, defending the huge disparity in incarceration rates for blacks and whites, continues to spark debate.
We wrote about it yesterday, saying that McAdams's findings seemed to suggest a remedy like 40 acres and a mule.
Paul Soglin weighed in with the suggestion that McAdams's approach would also suggest that Milwaukee could tolerate more black murders.
Conservative Rick Esenberg responded to Soglin.
And Soglin offered a rebuttal to Esenberg.
It's an interesting back-and-forth, a much better exchange than the usual name-calling that takes place in the Cheddarsphere.
As every waitress/waiter seems to say these days, "Enjoy!"
xoff's blog | Add new comment | View | Tags: Afro-American, Crime, Esenberg, McAdams, prison, Soglin
Too many blacks in prison? Time to return to 40 acres and a mule
Thu, 09/27/2007 - 4:12pm | xoff
Does Wisconsin lock up too many blacks?
When it's John McAdams asking that question, and the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute is paying for the study* , you can be pretty sure what the answer is going to be.
Of course not.
In fact, McAdams, who holds the endowed Wingnut Chair of Political Science at Marquette University, seems surprised we aren't locking up more blacks for longer sentences than we do now.
Paul Soglin has already done an analysis and found that under the model used by McAdams, we are not only not locking up enough blacks, but are well below expectations for homicides in Milwaukee, too. There is room for quite a few more murders.
It's hard to know where to begin with McAdam's "study," funded by WPRI, a far-right "think tank." Perhaps here:
This madness must cease
Wed, 04/04/2007 - 12:07pm | xoff
Veterans for Peace reminds us that it was 40 years ago today that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. declared: This madness must cease!
Veterans for Peace says:April 4, 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. made a speech at Riverside Church in New York City. King understood the death and destruction the United States was causing in Vietnam was poisoning America's soul. "Now it should be incandescently clear that no one who has concern for the integrity and life of America today can ignore the present war." This is no less true in Iraq.
Blacks in Wisconsin Prisons
Tue, 01/16/2007 - 12:29pm | Steve Hanson
From Paul Soglin's Waxing America blog
Blacks in Wisconsin Prisons - Governor Jim Doyle is creating a panel to study the high incarceration rate of blacks in Wisconsin prisons. Doyle orders new panel on blacks in state prisons: Far too many of our citizens, particularly African-American males, are serving time in... paul soglin [Paul Soglin - Waxing America]
The report on which all of this is based is truly interesting reading. We tend to think of ourselves in Wisconsin as being progressive and - well, perhaps a little less bigoted than the rest of the country. Apparently we're wrong, at least when it comes to the prison system. The chilling stats about young black men in prison in Wisconsin should bring in to question what our commitment in the state to fairness really is. I'm glad to see that Governor Doyle is concerned about this - but perhaps we should have all been concerned quite some time ago.
MLK day celebration in LaCrosse 1/15
Fri, 01/05/2007 - 6:31pm | borges
MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr. Event in LaCrosse WI
Monday, January 15, 7 PM
Place: English Lutheran Church, 16th and King Streets
Program to include Excerpts of M L King's speech given at Riverside Church in New York City, music and more. An opportunity to meet and dialogue with other concerned folk. Refreshments.
Free and open to public. please bring a donation for WAFER Food Pantry.
Flier attached for download if you want to post them around your area.