Archive for August, 2013

Deflecting the Dream: Right Wing Lies About Black America (and the Facts to Counter Them)

As we reflect on this past week’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, hearing the guttural effluent spewing from the mouths of America’s right-wing makes it clear where they would have stood — and where most of their ideological forbears did — a half century ago. Just as the nation’s most […]

Phillip Agnew of Dream Defenders Gives the Speech He Was Kept from Giving at the March on Washington

This is so much better, and more important, and more honest than anything said at the actual march this week, John Lewis excepted, perhaps; but I think even Lewis would agree, this is special, and especially because in 1963, the Kennedy Administration tried to intervene to keep Lewis from delivering his own speech, afraid that […]

Tim Wise on MSNBC’s The Cycle: Upholding the Legacy of the March on Washington

My appearance today on MSNBC’s The Cycle, along with longtime friend and colleague Barbara Arnwine, discussing the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the ongoing struggle for justice Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Remembering the REAL Martin Luther King Jr…

So, yeah, when Rush Limbaugh says that people tell him he “sounds like MLK” (or at least more so than the President), yeah, um, neither of y’all do…in Limbaugh’s case, I doubt he’s ever read a single one of MLKs books or listened to any speech beyond the “Dream Speech,” and even then he didn’t […]

The Week in White Deviance, Week 3 (Or, For the Love of God, White People, Get it Together!)

I know, I know. I’m a few days late with my third installment of “The Week in White Deviance,” but never fear, my tardiness is hardly related to a lack of compelling material. Oh no, there’s plenty of evidence yet again this week that white culture, the white family, and perhaps even white America, writ […]

Nazis Can’t Do Math: Reflections on Racism, Crime and the Illiteracy of Right-Wing Statistical Analysis

** NOTE TO READERS: Unfortunately, many of the crucial links in this piece are not functional at this time. The links in question (concerning homicide rates and numbers, by race) were from a truly incredible and interactive database, compiled by the Wall Street Journal, and published on their website shortly before this essay was written. […]

Tim Wise on MSNBC’s NOW, 8/23/13 – Race, Crime and So-Called “Double Standards” of Outrage

My appearance on MSNBC’s NOW With Alex Wagner (Joy-Ann Reid hosting), to discuss the right-wing freakout over the so-called “racial double standard” in crime reporting between the shooting of Trayvon Martin and Australian baseball player Chris Lane. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Race, Crime and Statistical Malpractice: How the Right Manipulates White Fear With Bogus Data

NOTE TO THE READER: Because the below essay involves a lot of data, and some occasionally confusing terminology (and because it’s hard to explain statistical analysis in a reader-friendly way), I am putting the key points in bullets here at the beginning of the piece. For the details as to how these conclusions were reached, […]

Joy-Ann Reid Explains the Fallacies of Bloomberg’s Stop-and-Frisk Defense

Excellent commentary from MSNBC contributor Joy-Ann Reid on why NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s defense of stop-and-frisk policies is utterly without merit… Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Week in White Deviance, Week 2: A Cultural Cry for Help

Well, another week has gone by, and once again we have a treasure trove of evidence to suggest that there is something seriously wrong in Pleasantville, by which I mean white America of course. Now I don’t mean all white people, mind you, or the entirety of white America, so don’t think I’m being racist. […]