color of change
GRITtv: July 13 2010
"We have a problem with talking about race in this country," says Maya Wiley of the Center for Social Inclusion. "There are those on the right who would shut down any discussion of racial issues, instead claiming that mentioning race at all makes the mentioner the racist. Whether the subject is a jobs bill or a Tea Party rally sign, a mention of race is all it takes to cut off all possibility of productive conversation." Maya Wiley joins Laura in studio to discuss the NAACP's call for the Tea Party to renounce racism from within its ranks, the desperate need for a jobs bill, and more. Last week, a jury in Oakland ruled that the shooting death of Oscar Grant was involuntary manslaughter: Johannes Mehserle, the Bay Area Rapid Transit officer who shot Grant, they decided, was reaching for his taser, not his gun and did not mean to kill the young African-American man. But the statistics on police shootings of young men of color tell a different story: this happens too often to be an accident. Rosa Clemente, former Green Party vice-presidential candidate and hip-hop activist, and James Rucker, co-founder of Color of Change, join Laura to talk about the aftermath of the verdict, what justice for Oscar Grant would look like, and why it's a bigger problem than one officer's jail sentence--or lack thereof. Thanks to our friends at ColorLines for the video used in this segment. Finally, a Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal has been promised for a while, but the Pentagon's $4.5 million survey of service members' attitudes doesn't seem to signal any steps closer. Laura has some thoughts.
Email this pageGRITtv: From Oscar Grant To...Where?: Seeking Structural Change
Last week, a jury in Oakland ruled that the shooting death of Oscar Grant was involuntary manslaughter: Johannes Mehserle, the Bay Area Rapid Transit officer who shot Grant, they decided, was reaching for his taser, not his gun and did not mean to kill the young African-American man. But the statistics on police shootings of young men of color tell a different story: this happens too often to be an accident. Rosa Clemente, former Green Party Vice-Presidential candidate and hip-hop activist, and James Rucker, co-founder of Color of Change, join Laura to talk about the aftermath of the verdict, what justice for Oscar Grant would look like, and why it's a bigger problem than one officer's jail sentence--or lack thereof. Thanks to our friends at ColorLines for the video used in this segment.
GRITtv: Hope: After a Year, What Does It Mean?
Hope. It was the word for the Obama campaign, epitomized by the famous Shepard Fairey poster, with eyes uplifted, bright primary colors declaring that Americans believed in something good again. Last year on election day, we discussed the election and the future of America; hoping for an Obama victory and with it some restoration of the things we'd lost under Bush. This year, we look back with some of our guests from that day on what they said then and what they think now. Chris Hayes of The Nation remembers the feeling of social solidarity from the Obama campaign, hundreds of thousands of people coming together to work for a common cause, while Danny Schechter of MediaChannel and NewsDissector points out that Obama had plenty of support from Wall St. as well as Main St. Air America's Ron Reagan wonders why Maine managed to expand its rights to medical marijuana while closing off rights to same-sex couples, and Esther Armah of WBAI notes that Obama's election maintains its symbolic importance, even if dealing with the reality is somewhat more complicated.
GRITtv: One Year Later, Still Politics as Usual?
Election 2009 was a mixed bag for all sides. But what did these results have to do with Obama? Our panel agrees on one thing: Democrats neglected the base that Obama worked so hard to build up. Jehmu Greene of the Women's Media Center notes that Democrats reverted back to the old way of doing things, and Jane Hamsher of FireDogLake points out that the candidate who supported the public option, Bill Owens in NY-23, won, while Creigh Deeds in Virginia, who said he might opt the state out if he was governor, lost. Mark Green of Air America, who once ran against Michael Bloomberg, noted that despite the massive outlay of cash, Bloomberg ran a tight race and could've been defeated if the Democrats put more effort into supporting his opponent. Katrina vanden Heuvel of The Nation notes that the youth vote was critical in 2008, and warns Democrats of what they risk losing if they ignore the young voters now.
GRITtv: Nov. 4, 2009: One Year Later
In a special one-hour show, we convene two panels of GRITtv regular guests to talk about these questions, the election results, and what progressives need to do better going forward into 2010. Joining us are Katrina vanden Heuvel and Chris Hayes of The Nation, Jehmu Greene of the Women's Media Center and formerly of Rock the Vote, James Rucker of Color Of Change, Danny Schechter of News Dissector, Jane Hamsher of FireDogLake, Ron Reagan and Mark Green of Air America, and Esther Armah of WBAI.
GRITtv: The NAACP and 100 Years of History
The NAACP turns 100 and the civil rights organization is celebrating this week in New York. Looking back, looking ahead what?s changed and what hasn't? With the financial crisis disproportionately impacting African Americans, the first black president in the White House, and the nomination hearings of Sonia Sotomayor we review the past few days and the last 100 years. Hilary Shelton, Director of the Washington, D.C. bureau of the NAACP, Sonia Ossorio, President of the National Organization for Women in NY, Derrick Johnson, President of the Mississippi NAACP, and James Rucker, Executive Director of Color of Change on the role of the NAACP and other activist organizations inside and outside the beltway.
