Last month Pres. Obama signed the Matthew Shepard - James Byrd jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act which extended the definition of federal hate crimes to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Matthew Shepard died as a result of a brutal homophobic attack in Laramie Wyoming in 1992. James Byrd Jr., and Afircan American, died in June of 1998 in Jasper Texas when he assaulted and dragged behind a truck for threee miles until his death.
Read about the bill in this article on the NAACP website, and here in the Washington Post.
The recent election of Barack Obama as the first African-American president was historic for all, no matter what one’s political beliefs. Common Ground invites the UR community to reflect upon particular aspects of this milestone in American history. Some questions you may want to think about:
- How has the election of Obama affected you as a person of color or as a white person?
- How has the election of Obama affected you as an American or international member of our community?
- What will the effect of this election be upon race relations in America?
Check out Teresa Williams’ post reflecting on the election from the Jepson blog.
Some suggested reading:
A Letter to My Son on Election Night
You have probably heard by now about the deeply disturbing racist incident that occurred in the Modlin Center just prior to spring break. As reported in The Collegian, a noose with a black doll was found hanging in the Cousins Studio Theatre, with writing about the death of art pasted on the floor below.
This is a space to air your personal concerns and thoughts as the campus community struggles to make sense and move toward a brighter future.
- What are your reactions to the news of a simulated lynching on our campus?
- What does it say about our campus that this happened here?
- What needs to happen for us to heal from this?
- What is your role in that process?
Finally, if you have information about related events, feel free to post them here.
Important Reminder: Tickets for The Meeting, the riveting play about a fictional meeting between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., are still available for the April 17, 18, and 19 productions at the Modlin Center. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about, or revisit, this critical moment in our nation’s history.
Other useful links
Theatre and Dance responds
The significance of the noose
Glyn Hughes and Lisa Miles
Office of Common Ground
