Contradictions

I was extremely disheartened by the Supreme Court ruling which limited K-12 schools' use of race to combat the segregation that still exists in our public school system. I agree with the Times editorial that speaks to the irony of the ruling. Given the state of public schools (i.e. largely segregated and unequal), the ruling seems to contradict Brown v. Board and the importance it placed in integration. In fact, Louisville just recently came out from under integration mandates, and it is the relics of these mandates that the court ruled against.

I am working on getting through the full ruling, but it seems clear that the majority of the court feels that race is no longer a major factor in our society and that taking it into account would be unconstitutional. I could go on and list stats and personal stories that speak to the reality of racism and how it continues to affect individuals and groups, but you can read my and others' article and books for that information. If you want the cliffnotes version, read my posting on my other blog (that I swear my friend and I are working to revamp and revitalize!). This commentary is also a succinct illustration of the way in which the discussion of race has shifted in the recent years.

I appreciated Justice Kennedy's split from the majority opinion in that he refused to equate "diversity" with racial balancing, thereby making it unconstitutional. Given that our society from its beginning has taken race into account, it would be illogical to say that the amendments to the constitution and various court rulings aimed to end slavery and give full rights to slaves would be unconstitutional simply because they would be equated with racial balancing. We cannot be acontextual. That would be like refusing to see the usefulness of chemotherapy simply because it destroys cells. If you understand it in context, you realize that it is the destruction of cells that allows for the cancer to be attacked and healthy cells to grow. I could fill a whole other post with a discussion of "diversity," but what is real is that our society is more diverse than ever. Working to provide an environment that mirrors that diversity, which prepares children to interact in this world, should not be misconstrued. We have lots to do to make sure that the numerical diversity that is achieved is used to foster interactional diversity, but again, that's a whole other discussion.

In reality, the ruling does not change the fact that racism is a live and well and affecting the outcomes for many. Those that see that truth will continue to work towards ways to minimize its impact. I would love to live in the world that the justices believe already exists, but it's simply not a reality.

Buying Local

Buying local has become a more popular venture. With the growth of farmer's markets, more people are buying goods from vendors who are close to home. As my sister mentioned in her blog, it is not enough to simply recycle. We need to be mindful about what each of us can do to reduce the amount of waste we produce. I plan to check out the book about the 100-mile diet. It's intriguing to think about the possibility of minimizing my footprint on the earth.

I joined a local CSA (community supported agriculture) last year and am loving it. From the end of May through November, I get fresh produce on Tuesday evening that was picked Tuesday morning. I've tried vegetables that a) I've never heard of b) would be scared to buy and c) have no clue how to prepare (e.g. purslane, Japanese turnpis, sorrel). They always provide recipe ideas, so that you have somewhere to start. It's been great. They even did a comparison of what it would cost to get the veggies at a couple grocery stores in town, and the CSA won. Locally grown, organic, and fresh- you can't get much better than that. I SO miss it in the winter. I'll have to improve my canning/freezing know-how!

Gotta Love it

The way things probably were in the "olds days" and could be more often if we turned off the TV.

Last night the power went out at my parents' house for almost 12 hours. We were headed home from Avery's first Cardinal's game (they won, and Avery and our niece and nephew got commemorative World Series balls), and my Dad informed me that the storm had caused a power outage. Ameren was reporting that 3000 customers were without power and 1am was the projected time it would be restored.

First of all, it made me appreciate summer and the later sunset. We got all the candles and flashlights out and had dinner while the sun was still out. We talked about playing a game but ended up just sitting at the table talking until 11pm. It was nice to just talk to the family without competing with the TV or other distractions. We heard stories about my father's career choice and work and talked about random stuff (even TV shows :) I'm not bashing the TV- heaven knows that I love my DVR- but I do think we become slave to it. I'm not ready to be a household sans TV, but I am definitely making more of a point of turning it off or not turning it on at all. Last night, we didn't have the option, and it was great!

Landmark Case

This case is a reminder of how recently we have struggled with overturning the racism that is embedded in our laws. It also reminds us how connecting with people across races is essential to change. It's only with interaction and relationships that we will move forward. As necessary as it is to have a fair and just legal system, laws can't change people. Case and point- miscegenation is legal, yet so many still have issues with interracial relationships. Multiracial individuals were just given the chance to report more than one race on the census in 2000.

New Perspectives

I fear that motherhood in particular, parenthood in general, is undervalued. It sounds cliche. It's been said before, but I understand it on a whole new level. I'm not sure what it will take to make folks understand. It's not that I wanted to be or was trying to be insensitive pre-Avery. I just didn't understand the demands, brain space and mental energy having a child takes. We say that we are family friendly, but our country has a long way to go to really support families.

From health care to parental leaves to childcare we are lacking. I could write for pages about how I had to negotiate with my doctor to have a natural birth. Interventions that are not necessarily good for mom and baby have become standard fare. I know that being in the academy allows me natural breaks that don't exist in corporate settings. After going through the experience, kudos to those who had to go back after 6 weeks. It's not fair but you did what you had to do. As I look into childcare options, I am amazed at how it is equivalent to a second mortgage. No wonder so many people are in debt! I am grateful that I have a career with flexible hours and family nearby, but I know that being a mother will make me look for ways that I can use my power to make the situation better for those behind me.

A friend of mine made this following analogy- or would it be metaphor- yesterday. Mark, it's become a favorite quote, because I think it sums up how parenthood is more than a notion.

"I equate parenthood and family responsibilities to perpetually swimming in the ocean. It's fun, but it's hard work - moreover, it's constant."

So true.

Facebook

Is addictive! I was warned but had not yet experienced its pull.

I am awful at most networking site (e.g. Friendster, LinkedIn, etc.). I get an account because my sister sends me an invite, and then I never go back. Shout out to Nicole for trying to keep me up-to-date.

I thought I would give Facebook a try, because ALL my students are on it. There has been plenty of campus drama related to it, and I wanted to see what all the hype was about.

It's really easy to get sucked in. I just spent most of the morning posting, messaging and searching for groups. Avery clearly took a long nap.

So, for all my students, feel free to be-friend me. We very well might be creating groups and holding convos over Facebook. :)

Discrimination and Mental Health

And another....

This article is about how discrimination affects mental health.

Article on Masculinity and Discrimination

Here's another article that I co-authored that came out last November.

New Article: Hope

This article has been a long time coming. I am still floored at how long the publication process takes, but it's finally out! This one is about how hope varies across racial and ethnic groups. I'll try to find links to my other article abstracts, too....

http://content2.apa.org/journals/cdp/13/2/94

So it begins

I've been hesitant to start a personal blog for a long time now. I'm not completely sure why. I don't think I have the time. I'm not sure how I want use it. Because everybody is doing it (I'm stubborn). However, I was in a workshop that spurred really interesting ideas about how to integrate web technology, blogs, wiki's, etc., into the classroom and we we practicing creating a blog. So, here goes....