Obama Is Complicit in Nation's Violent, Discriminatory Behavior, Laws

The president and the attorney general of the United States want to re-examine the nation's "stand your ground" laws. That should have been last year's news. As a result of the George Zimmerman verdict, the president also wants all of us to have a conversation, not necessarily a national conversation but conversations within our own families and churches and, most especially, with ourselves about our own biases.

We should all be able all do that, but not at the expense of a national conversation that leads to a change in - not simply in attitudes or biases - but in discriminatory laws, particularly laws that promote and permit the use of violence...

For rest of column, go to:

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/17772-beyond-being-followed-around-and-beyond-soul-searching

History of Red-Brown Journalism

In the fall, I will teach a class at the University of Arizona on the History of Red-Brown Journalism and Communications. As a result of teaching it in the past, the UA Main Library created a special collections titled: Historic Mexican & Mexican American Press. It is an [evolving] website open and available to the public: http://www.library.arizona.edu/contentdm/mmap/index.html If you have questions or suggestions, after going to the special collections, please feel free to contact me at: XColumn@gmail.com

Raza Studies Now Conference at Santa Monica College July 13

To stay updated on the work of Raza Studies Now, go to: razastudiesnow.com

For More Info Contact:
Tere Gomez 310-614-6194; Natalie Toscano 678-726-9390 ; Elias Serna 323-350-3548

Smiling Brown: People the Color of the Earth

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This is a special essay on color consciousness. It kicks off a project that will become a book, play and videologues. This essay shares vignettes from about 30 people from across the country regarding the color brown. It is lengthy. Please take the time to read it and feel free to contribute. Looking for vignettes regarding earliest memories re skin color (though not limited to earliest memories). If you are interested, please write me at: XColumn@gmail.com 

For the essay, go to: http://www.truth-out.org/speakout/item/17461-smiling-brown-people-the-color-of-the-earth