Donald Trump gave his first rally in months at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, capacity 19,199. Despite a million signups, only 6,200 people showed up. Various folks blamed everyone from young people on TikTok to media-inflamed fear of the virus for the low turnout. So let’s examine what really happened, and what it means….
In the past, I didn’t capitalize “Black” in text, when referring to a group of people. Now I will. The question of why it’s a proper adjective (derived from a proper noun) is worth discussing. A number of publications have made the switch from “black” to “Black” when referring to people (as opposed to just…
Who will win the the 2020 presidential election? Right now, with Donald Trump plummeting in polls, the best guess would be Joe Biden. But there is a scenario that could reverse that trend. I present this, not a prediction, but as provocative analysis, food for thought. Ask yourself this first: why is Trump falling behind?…
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on sex. But in a 6-3 Supreme Court opinion published yesterday, Justice Neil Gorsuch, usually a reliable conservative, joined Chief Justice John Roberts and four liberal justices to show that the law also prohibits discrimination against gay and transgender people. Let’s look at parts of his…
IBM’s CEO sent a letter to Congress regarding technology and racial justice reform. It’s notable for taking a clear stand on ways to use technology to promote more opportunity, rather than as a tool that could be abused by law enforcement. Analyzing Arvind Krishna’s letter Here’s what IBM CEO Arvind Krishna wrote, with my commentary….
When you read about the protests about race and policing, you are sure to encounter the phrase “systemic racism.” Why that word “systemic?” Why not “systematic,” which, at one time, was a much more common word? What is the difference between “systematic” and “systemic?” I don’t even recall hearing the word “systemic” until about 15…
Look, I’m no expert. And I’m white. But after my offer to help people crafting Black Lives Matter messages earlier this week, a bunch of companies came to me for help. As a result, I got to see some of the mistakes people are making. Many of those who want to write are suffering right…
George W. Bush knows we’ve failed black America. Barack Obama wants to fix things. Together, they point the way forward from this moment of crisis. George W. Bush acknowledges the pain of black Americans While I disagreed with the presidential policies of George W. Bush, I believed that he made decisions based on what was…
The New York Times tweeted this over the weekend: At this moment in time, there are hidden stories in the choices that headline writers write. An active voice headline tells who did what. Two of these headlines are passive. A passive voice headline tells what happened, but hides the who. Minneapolis: A photographer was shot…