October 11, 2011 | 10:50 AM | By

Columbus Day: Your Take

Yesterday, we asked whether Columbus Day should remain a federal holiday. And the majority of you responded “no,” in our admittedly unscientific poll. Alternatively, about 27 percent said it should remain a federal holiday, mostly because “we can’t vilify historical figures based on today’s moral standards.” The majority disagreed, voting that we shouldn’t have the day off to honor Columbus either because it’s offensive or because he didn’t discover anything:


A number of you offered additional thoughts on the issue. Some groups have been lobbying for the day to be commemorated as Indigenous People’s Day instead of Columbus Day. Reader Guest had a different suggestion:

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FILED UNDER: History, Columbus Day, Indigenous People's Day
October 11, 2011 | 10:05 AM | By

“Thomas Confirmation Hearings Had Ripple Effect”

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas faced accusations of sexual harassment from Anita Hill during confirmation hearings 20 years ago today. Thomas, an African-American conservative, told the all-white, all-male senate panel they were engaging in a “high-tech lynching” when they publicly questioned him about the allegations. NPR looks back on the the political ramifications of the dramatic hearings and Thomas’ impact on the court.


Perhaps no subject has engaged Thomas more on a personal level than race. He votes often against civil rights claims, and his own feelings of being underestimated because of his race come out most clearly in affirmative action cases.

Although Thomas is widely believed to have been the beneficiary of affirmative action programs when he went to the College of the Holy Cross and then to Yale Law School, he sees such programs as a scar, not a benefit. And when the Supreme Court reaffirmed the use of race as one factor that can be used in university admissions, Thomas railed that these programs were “nothing more than a facade, a cruel farce of continued racial discrimination that stamp minorities with a badge of inferiority.”

— www.npr.org

October 11, 2011 | 9:13 AM | By

Renting in Logan Circle

Back in May, we pondered whether rents could really increased by 10 percent in some of D.C.’s “hotter neighborhoods.” Now neighborhood blog Borderstan has a readers’ poll up showing that 36 percent of respondents in the Logan Circle – Dupont Circle – U Street area pay $2,001 $1,501 or more a month in rent. And although there is some income diversity in the area, there isn’t much.


One Logan Circle area realtor told Borderstan, “The average prices in the 20009 zip code are around $1,400 for a studio, $2,000 for a one-bedroom and $3,000-plus for a two bedroom. The real shocker is what is happening with two-bedroom apartments, they are getting very expensive very fast.”

— www.borderstan.com

October 10, 2011 | 4:54 PM | By

Should You Wear a $355 Shirt to Occupy Wall Street?

The Occupy protests started in New York and have now spread to a number of cities, including D.C. The racial diversity of the protests have been called into question, but what about the income diversity? Is it in poor taste for someone like, say, Kanye West, to show up to a protest against corporate interests and capitalism while wearing a $355 Givenchy shirt? Or is he just being authentic and showing class solidarity?

October 10, 2011 | 12:46 PM | By

Columbus Day: Should It Remain a Federal Holiday?

This is how some opponents view Columbus Day.


A number of folks in D.C. have the day off due to Columbus Day. But what exactly are we observing today?

Columbus Day became an official holiday after Italian immigrants lobbied for the recognition of Christopher Columbus, an Italian. In 1937, Franklin Roosevelt instituted the first federal-level recognition of the day. But in recent decades, Native American groups have pushed for the abolition of the holiday and for the creation of Indigenous People’s Day. Some say Columbus deserves little recognition as he “discovered” a land already inhabited by people. Others view the holiday as honoring a man who ushered in a mass genocide.

So, what’s your take on the issue? Cast your vote in our poll below:

FILED UNDER: Government, History, Columbus Day, Holidays, Indigenous People's Day
October 10, 2011 | 11:53 AM | By

“We Need a Black Economic Renaissance”

The black unemployment rate is at 16 percent, which is double the white unemployment rate.


The reality is that the good manufacturing and blue-collar jobs that were once a ticket to the middle class for many people had been drying up for years, long before the recession began. As America redevelops its economy, now is the time to redesign a black economic infrastructure, rooted in innovation, entrepreneurship and global trade — all of which are important for job creation.

— www.theroot.com

October 10, 2011 | 7:22 AM | By

Tasty Morning Bytes – Record Demand for Food Bank, Pleasant Affordable Housing and Health Disparities

Good morning, DCentric lurkers! Here are some of the stories we’re reading, right now:

Arlington food bank sees record demand “‘I come here because I can’t get food stamps because I make too much,’ said Donald James of Arlington. ‘How can I make too much money when all my money goes to rent and utilities?’” (The Washington Post)

Protesters Occupy Washington, D.C. “Only one protester made a specific reference to race; and she was wearing a message to Herman Cain on her back: ‘I Am Black & Democrat, not brain washed.’ It was an apparent reference to his disparaging remarks about blacks tending to vote Democratic.” (colorlines.com)

St. Dennis Reopens in Victory for Affordable Housing “In 2004, developers set their sights on the building located at Kenyon and 17th Streets in Mt. Pleasant, hoping to turn it into high-priced condos in the fast-gentrifying neighborhood. Bit by bit, they chased away residents, but three steadfastly refused to leave — Eva Martinez and her daughters, Anabell and Eva Aurora.” (DCist)
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October 7, 2011 | 12:19 PM | By

Occupy Protests: Are They Representative?

Andrew Bossi / Flick

A protest sign during the first day of Occupy DC.

The Occupy Wall Street protests have spread to other cities, including the District. Protesters are are calling for an end to corporate greed and proclaiming the vast majority of Americans suffer while the rich haven’t.

More than a hundred people gathered at Freedom Plaza on Thursday, some wielding signs with statement like “We are the 99%.”

It would make sense that such a movement would have particular relevance for communities of color, who are facing higher unemployment rates and are largely on the losing side of the wealth gap. So some have wondered why the crowds in some cities have been mostly white.

Racialicious compiled a number of dispatches from activist reporting many people of color are absent from leadership positions or feel marginalized at the New York protests. Such rumblings helped spur the formation of “The People of Color Working Group,” which issued a statement:

… The economic crisis did not begin with the collapse of the Lehman Brothers in 2008. Indeed, people of color and poor people have been in a state of crisis since the founding of this country, and for indigenous communities, since before the founding of the nation. We have long known that capitalism serves only the interests of a tiny, mostly white, minority.

The vast majority of the crowd at Occupy DC’s Thursday protest was white, but a number of people of color said they felt speakers’ messages and the crowd assembled was representative of those who are suffering.

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FILED UNDER: Around the City, The People, Occupy DC, Race and Class
October 7, 2011 | 8:15 AM | By

Tasty Morning Bytes – Fleeting Retail Diversity, Russian to Learn and DCPS Residency Fraud

Good morning, DCentric readers! Ready for some link love?

What the Demise of the Mall Means to Georgetown’s Retail Landscape “The hulking and aging mall fit into the Jane Jacob call to preserve old buildings. She advised this because old buildings with smaller retail spaces tend to be cheaper to rent and thus can house stores that can’t afford prime rents. This leads to more retail diversity.” (The Georgetown Metropolitan)

At French immersion school, a love for Russian “Often, the biggest Russian classes are filled with ‘heritage kids,’ Sanders said. Not so at Goddard. At this school, where 82 percent of students are black or Hispanic, not a single person in Room 213 has a Russian background.” (The Washington Post)

A Constant Struggle For Work “I have no problems passing the drug tests, passing the urine tests. Everybody who says those of us in Ward 8 don’t have any skills. How much experience do you need to sweep a broom? Come on.” (The Root DC)
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October 6, 2011 | 5:52 PM | By

DCentric Picks: ‘The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975′

Flickr: Runs With Scissors

Mural of Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X. During the 1968 riots, Carmichael, who was a leader of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) obtained special police permission to allow Ben’s Chili Bowl to stay open after curfew to provide food and shelter for activists and public servants who were working to restore order in D.C.

What: Film: “The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975” (2010)

When: Weekend screenings include: 10:30 a.m.,‎ ‎12:45 p.m., ‎ ‎3:00 p.m.,‎ ‎5:15‎ p.m., ‎7:30‎ p.m., ‎9:45 p.m‎. Check here for updates.

Where: Landmark E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW.

Cost: $11 for general admission. More details here.

Why you should go: As the New York Times put it,

The film begins at a moment when the concept of black power was promoted by Stokely Carmichael, a veteran of the freedom rides early in the decade, who, like many young black activists, had grown frustrated with the Gandhian, nonviolent philosophy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Carmichael, who later moved to Guinea and took the name Kwame Ture, is remembered for the militancy of his views and his confrontational, often slashingly witty speeches, but the Swedish cameras captured another side of him. In the most touching and arresting scene in “Mixtape,” he interviews his mother, Mable, gently prodding her to talk about the effects of poverty and discrimination on her family.

Other events to consider: Fans of conscious hip-hop and global music can combine their passions with one FREE show at the Kennedy Center’s Millenium Stage, where Jewish Israeli recording artist and producer SHI 360 performs on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m.

FILED UNDER: Around the City, Culture, DCentric Picks, Films