Professional Documents
Culture Documents
June 2009
APPLIED RESEARCH CENTER
advancing racial justice through research, advocacy and journalism
publisher of
The national newsmagazine on race and politics
Media Award.
the rIse of
In PercIval everett’s novel Erasure, Theloni-
ous Ellison is a college professor who writes novels “The Rise of
I’m not opposed to equal representation. It’s pretty hard street
that are more praised than read. His work’s engage-
Street Literature”
ment with French post-structuralists and ancient
Greek literature impresses and baffles reviewers,
who wonder what those subjects have to do with
lIterature
the African-American experience. Frustrated by his
to get to justice without it. But right now, we have the won best story in
latest novel’s seventh rejection and angered by the
success of the street-lit hit We’s Lives in Da Ghetto,
Ellison dashes off a novella parodying the “true, gritty
The literary genre about “gangsta life” real stories of [B]lack life” that he has been advised
spawned a younger Black readership, but is to write. This satiric tale, which is included in Erasure
collective brains, money and charismatic political leader- the Arts, Sports
this literacy by any means necessary? in its entirety, is peopled with stock characters like
the perennially scowling thug and the vapid baby
By Almah LaVon Rice mama. It is sent to Random House as a protest, but
to Ellison’s amazement and chagrin he is offered a
& Entertainment
$600,000 advance for his “magnificently raw and
category.
Black male!” writer in their midst.
[Continued on page 2]
Applied Research Center 900 Alice Street, Suite 400, Oakland, CA 94607 PH: 510-653-3415 FAX: 510-986-1062 www.arc.org
Compact Forum Series:
100 Days of Racial Justice
ARc’s compact for racial justice, released ten days after the historical
election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, is a series of policy
essays that offer concrete strategies for moving a proactive racial justice agenda.
In the months that followed, a flurry of state and federal policy proposals were
introduced that will have major implications for communities of color. As a
response, from February through April, ARC moved a national discussion about
race and the economy, jobs, health care, immigration and civil rights through
the Compact Forum Series. In the first 100 days of the Obama Administration,
ARC also assessed the policy highs and lows, from the inclusion of immigrant
children in the passage of SCHIP to the U.S. second boycott of Durban II.
Over 1300 participants joined the Compact Forum conference calls, which
featured twenty speakers from across the nation. Compact Forum calls were
featured in blogs like Racialicious.com, Gristmill.org and the Huffington Post.
Over 2,200 individuals downloaded the Compact, the accompanying Toolkit
and the 100 Day Assessment of the Obama Administration. Those who read the
Compact, participated in the calls, and viewed the videos sent us their thoughts:
• “Love your questions on the call. You go! Thanks for driving the dialogue and not skirting around the issues.”
• “ Nice job on the call yesterday. I also LOVED your video on the naysayers and cheerleaders and put it on my
facebook page where it got a lot of love.”
• “What a cool video—I loved it so much I forwarded it on to some of my colleagues and friends.”
To do that, we have to be willing to be consistent with We’re grateful for their courage and transparency, and
our language, rigorous with our analysis and bold in our we think many people from all sectors of society will find
vision. We have to educate everyone around us about what insights in their experience, which is revealed in a new
really constitutes racial progress and why diversity isn’t report called Catalytic Change.
enough. Years of experience have taught us that unless we
set explicit guidelines for achieving equity, the allocation Six months in, it’s still amazing to me that a man of color is
of resources is inevitably unbalanced. It will take all our giving Presidential news conferences. This scene, however,
resolve to ensure that we spend our money, energy and is no replacement for my true desire, to see an end to racial
political power in ways that deliberately combat and disparities that keep us divided, no matter how capable we
prevent institutionalized discrimination. are of getting along. In the coming period, both federal
programs and private grants need to work together to
Two ARC allies have made the decision to move in that dismantle the structures of institutional inequity—that will
direction, and we can all learn from their process. The be money well spent.
Consumer Health Foundation (Washington DC) and the
Barr Foundation (Boston) participated in the Racial
Justice Philanthropic Assessment that we conducted
with the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity. As the
Assessment moved ahead, both foundations were struck Rinku Sen
by the many options that an explicit analysis opened up President and Executive Director, Applied Research Center
for them, options they’re now pursuing with real vigor. Publisher, ColorLines Magazine
ARC’s website overhaul is done! The new arc.org site features an The “Reaching Across Borders” series will
attractive homepage, clear focus on current stories and activities you can include an international field investigation
get involved in, neatly organized content areas so you can find resources illuminating the devastating intersection
more easily and many other upgrades. This is just the start of a series of of criminal justice, immigration and wel-
planned improvements. Send your suggestions to webstaff@arc.org. fare policies that tear apart thousands of
families every year. The compound effects
of these laws have institutionalized the pun-
The “My Great Recession” blog ishment of families and the abandonment
series at RaceWire.org/reces- of children. In partnership with grassroots
sion calls on all young people of organizations—including Families for
color who are writers, artists and Freedom—ARC will explore the ways that
bloggers to blog on their stories: these three institutions collide and will
Where you at? How are you cop- then produce a policy platform highlighting
ing with the recession? opportunities to make change at local, state
and federal levels. Look for our in-depth
coverage of this issue in ColorLines maga-
zine, RaceWire.org blogs from the field and
in ColorLines.com features and videos.
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