Reader Mike Bertolone send word that the National Organization of Women has issued a statement “deploring the exclusion of black lesbian and gay activists from the upcoming Millions More March.” (That march is discussed here.)
Just as the National Organization for Women objected to the Million Man March in 1995 because of its exclusion of women, we object to this march organized by the Nation of Islam because its organizers refuse to recognize the issues affecting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender African-Americans.
The statement doesn’t say, but I assume NOW protested the exclusion of only black women, not all women, from the Million Man March. Similarly, in the absence of any word here to the contrary, I assume NOW does not object to the exclusion of whites from this march. Indeed, I wonder if black Jews would be welcome, and if not whether NOW would protest.
“Recognizing the diversity of families that exist in the African-American community can only make us stronger,” NOW proclaims here, but it is hard to fathom any compelling principle they see violated by the exclusion of some groups from another group’s “unity” march.
“Diversity,” not surprisingly, turns out to be quite divisive.
ADDENDUM
And voracious reader Fred Ray has pointed me to a controversy at Boston’s Northeastern University where an event advertised “for women of color only” sparked controversy.
The Women’s Studies and Graduate Consortium’s first “Breaking Bread: Women of Color Dialogue” was forced to admit all races after a white student complained to the university provost, the Northeast News reported.
“They were in violation of the nondiscrimination policy,” said Michael DeRamo, Northeastern’s student government vice president for academic affairs.
Robin Chandler, director of women’s studies and one of the organizers of the event, held late last month, said she was disappointed she received orders to open the event to all, even though only one white woman actually attended the first session.
“I think it’s a shame that one or two white students, based on white privilege, a lack of awareness of racial issues and a lack of generosity of spirit complained to the office of the provost and were able, because they were white, to gain admission to the morning session that I was forced to open up,” Miss Chandler said.
Gee, whites are getting so uppity at least some of them think they have a right to be free from discrimination based on their race!
Note that the article doesn’t say whether Miss Chandler was forced to “open up” her meeting to anyone, or only to white women.
this reveals the mindset that some people, black people, have about racism. They don’t think its wrong in principle. They just think it’s wrong when it happens to them. Either racism is wrong in every direction or its not wrong at all.
>>>>”I think it’s a shame that one or two white students, based on white privilege, a lack of awareness of racial issues and a lack of generosity of spirit complained to the office of the provost and were able, because they were white, to gain admission to the morning session that I was forced to open up,” Miss Chandler said.
If one picture is worth a thousand words, this picture comparison is worth one million!
The photo on the left is from the Million Man March of 1995. The photo on the right is from yesterday. Obviously people are not as interested in Farrakhan any more!
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