The HIT is back! I have been busy completing my dissertation, and in May I will become the first police officer of color in the state of Minnesota to earn a doctorate. The process has taken me eight years and I am very happy with how everything turned out, but I will discuss that in later columns. I will use this column to discuss the importance of being a father to your … [Read more...]
Ageism, the persistent ‘ism’
We frequently hear about racism and sexism in our culture, but we hear little about another persistent “ism” — ageism. As our society grows older, due to the large number of retiring baby boomers, ageism remains a growing challenge and concern. Researchers at Yale University were disturbed when they compiled negative comments about older adults that were posted by young people … [Read more...]
Racial disparities in early childhood education hurts U.S.
Increased investment in early childhood education and care can eradicate many of the racial success gaps that persist throughout society, according to a report from the Center for American Progress (CAP). Early childhood encompasses birth through 3 years old, and children of color are already the majority in this as-yet-unnamed generation. The report, titled, “Investing in … [Read more...]
Creating Black history one Wikipedia page at a time
Though he was the first African American with a doctoral degree in educational psychology as well as editor of the Journal of Negro Education for 30 years, Charles Henry Thompson’s page on Wikipedia didn’t show much. It didn’t include his rich background of innovation and scholarship or even photography. Instead, it was a mere two sentences. That remained the case until … [Read more...]
University of MN changes crime-alert race-reference policy after criticism
University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler announced Wednesday that use of racial descriptions will be reduced considerably in U police crime alerts. The issue has been a contentious one on campus since the student group Whose Diversity? staged a sit-in Feb. 9 in Kaler’s Morrill Hall offices and listed the cessation of racial descriptions in crime reports as one of its … [Read more...]