Lifted Veils: September 2009

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Hotel Housekeepers Protest Mass Firing In Boston

September 18, 2009

Housekeeper Lucine Williams (left) who was fired from her job at the Boston Hyatt hotel as part of a cost-cutting move

Listen to the Story

By Phillip Martin
Published September 18, 2009 6:00 AM

A demonstration on Thursday evening, September 17th, in front of Boston's downtown Hyatt Regency Hotel followed publication of an article in the Boston Globe about the firing of 100 low-paid housekeepers at three area Hyatts last month who were replaced by even lower paid contractors.

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WGBH , PRI and BBC Announce a World-Wide Reporting Initiative Focused on Color

WGBH Radio, Public Radio International and the BBC have announced the launch of “The Color Initiative”, a landmark journalism project that will examine complex global issues of politics, culture, history and society through the framework of human perceptions and experiences related to color. Once complete, this on-going project will air on The World, broadcasting on WGBH 89.7, Mon-Fri at 4pm and 7pm. Feature Color Initiative stories reported from around the globe will be produced by Lifted Veils Productions, a Boston-based non-profit radio journalism organization dedicated to exploring issues that divide society. Former NPR supervising senior editor and NPR’s former Race Relations Correspondent, Phillip Martin, will serve as lead correspondent. He is also the Executive Producer of Lifted Veils Productions. Anthony Brooks, The World’s former senior producer and former national correspondent for NPR, is the Color Initiative series editor. The World’s Executive Producer is Bob Ferrante. The project is made possible by a grant from the Ford Foundation and the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities. “The establishment of an international editorial beat dedicated to covering color worldwide is the first of its kind, and places The World in a unique position in public radio in the United States and Britain,” says Marita Rivero, General Manager for WGBH Radio and Television. Among the topics that will be explored by the Color Initiative are: • COLOR AND IMMIGRATION: A FOUR PART SERIES • IRAQ’S WAR DEAD, AMERICA’S RESPONSE AND THE ROLE OF COLOR • CASTE, COLOR AND EDUCATION IN INDIA The first report in the year-long project looks at the on-going marketing campaign by Benetton, which mixes business with socially conscious messages focusing on diversity of all sorts, including color. Those messages are now coming up against growing anti-immigrant realities in Europe, including the dominant presence of the Northern League in the very Italian city where Benetton is headquartered: Treviso. That report airs in early November. About The World Winner of the 2006 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award for Broadcast News, The World with anchor Lisa Mullins has been bringing daily international news to local audiences for the past 10 years. Monday through Friday at 4pm on WGBH 89.7, the international staff of The World presents a mix of news, features, interviews, and music from around the globe. The World is the first international radio news program developed specifically for an American audience, giving listeners an upbeat and informed take on the day's events. Co-produced by WGBH, the BBC World Service, and Public Radio International, The World is heard on more than 200 public radio stations across the country. About WGBH Listener-supported WGBH 89.7 is Boston's NPR® arts and culture station. Bringing you the best for more than 50 years, 89.7 serves its wide-ranging audience with a menu of classical music, NPR news, jazz, blues, folk, and spoken-word programs. The station is an active participant in New England's vibrant music community, presenting more than 300 performances every year, including live broadcasts and remote recordings from such diverse venues as Tanglewood, the Lowell Folk Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival, and WGBH's own studios. WGBH 89.7 can be heard online anywhere in the world at www.wgbh.org, and can be heard on Nantucket at WNCK 89.5.

Historian John Hope Franklin forced Americans to go beyond scratching the surface of their history--to look beyond the self -adulation and pronouncements about American exceptionalism. He made many understand that black history IS American history, and that the legacy of slavery was not temporal. Black history was not just a chapter but an interwoven and inseparable aspect of this country's overall development and legacy. I sat down with JHF for an hour-long radio interview in 1998, but never aired the tape. I'll listen over the next few days to try to tune into what he said and why it no doubt is still relevant.

HATS OFF TO ALISON DES FORGES

Alison Des Forges is someone whom I've had the pleasure of working with off and on over the years as an informant and interviewee on African human rights. She was the first to single the alarm to a non-concerned world community that genocide was being planned in Rwanda. She was true to the often overused term, "humanitarian". Alison perished this week in the plane crash in Buffalo. She leaves a massive void in the heart of anyone who has ever thought beyond self. A Washington Post tribute follows:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/13/AR2009021303286.html

HUFFINGTON POST by Phillip Martin The fact that Ms. Todd felt she could get away with telling yet another false story about a black boogie man, suggests that some in this country have not gotten the memo.

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dutchgirl55 See Profile I'm a Fan of dutchgirl55 permalink

Thank you for saying it was due to good police work that her story unraveled in less than 48 hours, as opposed to the days and weeks it took in the stories you used as examples. Pittsburgh has an exceptional police force.

Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:10 PM on 10/24/2008

- VAforObama See Profile I'm a Fan of VAforObama permalink

Interesting about the dates--Stuart, 10/23 and Smith, 10/25. Coincidence, probably, but still interesting.

Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:21 PM on 10/24/2008

- ALOFT See Profile I'm a Fan of ALOFT permalink

Great commentary. I'm not a boxer (although I enjoyed their post) nor have I been hit in the face to know the signs but, like most of you, I knew something wasn't right about this story. I was glad it was revealed to be fake before it got major legs.

THE COLOR OF ROMA

A Roma child plays at a camp in Rome May 16, 2008. Silvio Berlusconi's new right-wing government is preparing tough emergency legislation to tighten screening of immigrants -- especially Roma people from Eastern Europe whom many in Italy blame for crime. The plan could include reimposing border checks despite Italy's membership of the European Union passport-free Schengen zone, making illegal immigration a jailable offence, speeding up deportations and turning holding centres into detention camps. (Max Rossi/Reuters)

Phillip Martin Reports on NPR

Business: Harvard Square's New Businesses Annoy Neighbors Oct-24-2007, Morning Edition
...inevitable, which is not stopping local opposition. We have more this morning from reporter Philip Martin. PHILIP MARTIN: Full disclosure: I've been around Harvard Square for a long...

Race: Painting Depicts Desperation of Detroit Riots Jul-26-2007, All Things Considered
...Phillip Martin reports. PHILLIP MARTIN: Rafael Beden, his black beret tips slightly to the right, points to an empty weed-choked lot on Detroit's east side. It's where his house once...
Arts & Culture: Was 'Blade Runner' Prophetic? Jun-25-2007, Day to Day
...them. BRAND: Phillip Martin reports now on how modern-day Los Angeles measures up to director Ridley Scott's vision of the city. PHILLIP MARTIN: "Blade Runner" opens with a panoramic...
World: Group Seeks to Aid Uganda's Youngest Victims Dec-23-2006, All Things Considered
...inscribed on his tag are the words, speak their names, tell their stories, and bring them home. For NPR News, I'm Phillip Martin....

Legal Affairs: Jewish Inmate Seeks Segregation from Anti-Semitic Gangs Nov-06-2005, All Things Considered
...Nazis and other white supremacists who hate Jews. As NPR's Phillip Martin reports, that's why the prisoner is asking a federal court to change his status from white to other....
NPR : Looking Back: Brown v. Board of Education May-20-2005
...The Tavis Smiley Show senior editor Phillip Martin reports. May 19, 2004 Brown v. the Board of Education was actually an umbrella lawsuit including a number of cases challenging school...
Global Health: Rachel Deco, Biking For AIDS -- and Herself Feb-07-2005, News & Notes
...She's training for the 600-mile AIDS/LiteCycle bike ride in June. Phillip Martin reports. Mr. MARTIN KELETI: Please remember to ride predictably. And that means riding single...
Nation: Soldiers' Crosses on a Santa Monica Beach Jan-16-2005, All Things Considered
...killed in the line of duty in Iraq. NPR's Phillip Martin reports.. . JENNIFER LUDDEN, host: Each Sunday on a beach in Santa Monica, California, hundreds of crosses are erected in...
NPR Special Report: The United Nations World Conference Against Racism Nov-30-2004
...NPR Special Report: The United Nations World Conference Against Racism. Visit our page Hourly Newscasts Program Stream The UN World Conference Against Racism An NPR Special Report...
30th Anniversary Celebration of All Things Considered Nov-29-2004, All Things Considered
...Nikki Silva) and Jay Allison, in collaboration with NPR and independent producers. On the April 30 show, in the aftermath of the Columbine shootings, reporter Phillip Martin talks to...
Politics & Society: A Conversation with Michael Moore Oct-15-2004, The Tavis Smiley Show
...of the Bush-Kerry race, Moore is doing all he can to help the Democratic challenger unseat the president. Hear Moore and NPR's Phillip Martin.. . TONY COX, host: Iconoclastic filmmaker...
Democratic Convention: The DNC Delegates: Puerto Rico Represents Jul-29-2004, The Tavis Smiley Show
...The DNC Delegates: Puerto Rico Represents . Phillip Martin profiles one of the members of the Puerto Rican delegation.. ....
Race: Looking Back at the Black Panther Movement Jul-19-2004, The Tavis Smiley Show
...as dangerous militants. Now, a new Santa Monica, Calif., exhibit of photographs from the 1960s examines the Panthers' image then and now. Senior editor Phillip Martin reports. A father...
The State of Indigenous People, Part II: A World Power Nov-28-2003, The Tavis Smiley Show
...The State of Indigenous People, Part II: A World Power . In the second of a two-part WGBH series, producer Phillip Martin reports on the political and economic power of indigenous people...
The State of Indigenous People, Part I: American Indians Nov-27-2003, The Tavis Smiley Show
...Phillip Martin focuses on Native Americans. Many in the American Indian community believe they can influence political outcomes through sheer numbers -- and with profits from casino...
Minorities and Ocean Conservation Oct-13-2003, The Tavis Smiley Show
...Minorities and Ocean Conservation . Producer Phillip Martin reports on a new campaign to attract more people of color into the ocean conservation movement.. . TAVIS SMILEY, host: From...
Native American Tribes, U.S. Govt. Spar Over Land Oct-13-2003, The Tavis Smiley Show
...us. SMILEY: Just ahead, producer Phillip Martin reports on a new campaign to attract more people of color into the ocean conservation movement. It's 19 minutes past the hour....
After Three Decades of Busing, a Racial Reality Check Sep-23-2003, Day to Day
...school busing. Correspondent Phillip Martin takes us to South Boston, one of the centers of resistance to that order, and looks at the state of race relations in that neighborhood today.....
Hate Crimes, the Law and Punishment: Part II Sep-10-2003, The Tavis Smiley Show
...Hate Crimes, the Law and Punishment: Part II . In the final installment of this two-part series, correspondent Phillip Martin examines how effectively hate crimes are being reported...
President Bush and the United Nations Sep-10-2003, The Tavis Smiley Show
...Just ahead, what makes a criminal act a hate crime? Part Two of producer Phillip Martin's special report on Hate Crimes: Law and Punishment. It's 19 minutes past the hour....
Hate Crimes, the Law and Punishment: Part I Sep-09-2003, The Tavis Smiley Show
...Phillip Martin in Sodus Point, New York. SMILEY: Tomorrow, correspondent Phillip Martin looks at the effectiveness of federal and state hate crime laws and how, in fact, they are...

Arts & Culture: Please Come to Boston? Film Biz Says No Nov-13-2002, Morning Edition
...of filming in the Hub, and are under investigation. NPR's Phillip Martin reports.. . BOB EDWARDS, host: A movie by Clint Eastwood, and another starring Julia Roberts, are being...
Leo Felton Update Jul-26-2002, The Tavis Smiley Show
...Leo Felton Update . Reporter Phillip Martin has an update on the case of white supremacist Leo Felton, who on trial in Boston for threatening to carry out terrorist acts. Closing arguments...
White Supremacist Trial Jul-25-2002, All Things Considered
...White Supremacist Trial . Phillip Martin reports from Boston on the trial of Leo Felton and Erica Chase, two self-proclaimed white supremacists accused of plotting to blow up African-...
Leo Felton Profile Jul-22-2002, The Tavis Smiley Show
...Leo Felton Profile . Reporter Phillip Martin has a profile of Leo Felton, who is on trial in Boston for threatening to blow up black and Jewish leaders as well as monuments in Washington,...
Felton Trial Jul-16-2002, The Tavis Smiley Show
...Felton Trial . Tavis Smiley talks to reporter Phillip Martin about the case of Leo Felton and Erica Chase. The two are on trial in Boston charged with plotting a "racial holy war" against...
Boston Homicide Apr-22-2002, Morning Edition
...Boston Homicide . Phillip Martin reports that a startling proportion of Boston's growing murder rate is being attributed to young Cape Verdean immigrants. Older generations that immigrated...
Minority Mar-17-2002, All Things Considered
...Minority. Phillip Martin reports on the debate over the use of the term "minority." Some people believe the word is pejorative. Boston College has officially stopped using the word minority....
Massachusetts Campaign Finance Jan-06-2002, All Things Considered
...wants to force lawmakers to act. Some people say this case could affect both public campaign financing efforts nationwide and the ballot initiative process. From Boston, Phillip Martin...
Harvard Controversy Jan-03-2002, Morning Edition
...Harvard Controversy . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on an unfolding controversy at Harvard. Scholars at the school's high-profile Afro-American Studies Department are upset with new Harvard...
Wartime Visions Nov-05-2001, Morning Edition
...Wartime Visions . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on a controversial piece of art in Boston Harbor- a liquid natural gas tank adorned with large rainbow stripes. Many people claim that...
Race and War Oct-14-2001, Weekend Edition - Sunday
...NPR Reporter): Good morning, Liane. HANSEN: Phillip Martin quoted some of the results from a Gallup Poll. He mentioned 71 percent of African-Americans now support some form of...
Trading Places Oct-14-2001, Weekend Edition - Sunday
...to perhaps business as usual. And that means they're coming back to the black community or Latino community, and it was not right then, it's not right now. MARTIN: Phillip Martin,...
Shanksville Revisited Oct-03-2001, Morning Edition
...Shanksville Revisited . NPR's Phillip Martin profiles the people of Shanksville, Pa. Miraculously, none of the town's residents were injured when the hijacked American Flight 93 plowed...
Racism Conference Sep-02-2001, All Things Considered
...diplomats say the NGO action endangers a larger UN agreement. NPR's Phillip Martin is in Durban and joins us on the line. Hello, Phillip. PHILLIP MARTIN reporting: Hello,...
Reparations Sep-01-2001, All Things Considered
...Yale, as NPR's Phillip Martin reports. PHILLIP MARTIN reporting: Yale's abolitionist history is well-documented. It was faculty at the Yale Divinity School who led the fight...
Cincy Cops to Boston Aug-04-2001, Weekend Edition - Saturday
...Cincy Cops to Boston . NPR's Phillip Martin listens as different groups participating in Boston's Community Policing initiative try to find common ground. The Boston program, which includes...
NYC POLITICAL ALLIANCE Aug-20-2001, Morning Edition
...NYC POLITICAL ALLIANCE . NPR's Philip Martin reports on relations between black and Hispanic voters as new political coalitions emerge in New York City. A group of African-Americans...
Fox - La Raza Jul-17-2001, All Things Considered
...Council of La Raza's annual conference. From Milwaukee, NPR's Philip Martin reports. PHILIP MARTIN reporting: President Fox was introduced by Raul Yzaguirre, who heads La Raza....
La Raza Convention Jul-19-2001, Morning Edition
...La Raza Convention . NPR's Phillip Martin reports from Milwaukee, where the National Council of La Raza concluded its 33rd annual conference last night. Leaders of the nation's largest...
Hispanic Schism Jul-16-2001, All Things Considered
...Hispanic Schism . NPR's Phillip Martin reports that at the annual La Raza conference in Milwaukee, the Bush administration proposal to grant amnesty to Mexican immigrants is being greeted...
La Raza Jul-14-2001, All Things Considered
...meeting will demonstrate the mounting influence of Hispanic-Americans. NPR's Phillip Martin reports. PHILLIP MARTIN reporting: National Council of La Raza President Raul Yzaguirre...
NAACP Convention Jul-06-2001, Morning Edition
...NAACP Convention . NPR's Phillip Martin reports that the NAACP kicks off its annual convention tomorrow in New Orleans. This year's conference focuses on such issues as civil rights,...
York, Pennsylvania Part Two Jun-22-2001, All Things Considered
...York, Pennsylvania Part Two . NPR's Phillip Martin brings us the parallel story of the death of Lillie Belle Allen in York, Pennsylvania, 1969. . . PHILLIP MARTIN reporting: I'm...
The Evolution of Voting Rights in America Jun-07-2001, Morning Edition
...The Evolution of Voting Rights in America . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the evolution of voting rights in America, and what last November's election reveals about the state of suffrage...
Asian Tension May-26-2001, All Things Considered
...Asian Tension . NPR's Phillip Martin follows a young couple whose families do not approve of their relationship because they are from different ethnic backgrounds. He is Korean-American....
Multi-Racial Options May-18-2001, Morning Edition
...Multi-Racial Options . More than 6 million Americans claimed more than one race or ethnicity on the 2000 census. NPR's Phillip Martin reports that multi-racial advocacy organizations...
Harvard Rally Apr-24-2001, All Things Considered
...the state's two Democratic senators, as well as national union officials and the NAACP. NPR's Philip Martin has a report. . . ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Inside the walls of Harvard Yard,...
Citizen Education Fund Investigation Apr-07-2001, Weekend Edition - Saturday
...Citizen Education Fund Investigation . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the controversy surrounding the continuing investigation into the finances of Jesse Jackson and his organization,...
Christian Coalition Mar-31-2001, All Things Considered
...court for more than $621 million in two separate lawsuits. NPR's Phillip Martin reports. PHILLIP MARTIN reporting: Nineteen-year-old Samantha Hinson says she and other black...
Census 2000 Mar-13-2001, Morning Edition
...Census 2000 . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on that the 2000 census results reflect a change in America's perception of race. This was the first census that allowed people to check more...
African Immigrants in Nashville Feb-28-2001, Morning Edition
...African Immigrants in Nashville . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the struggle for understanding between the African-American community and the growing number of black African immigrants...
Minority Republicans Jan-22-2001, Morning Edition
...mostly voted for Al Gore, but many say that these days they identify more with Republicans. NPR's Phillip Martin spoke with minority voters who supported George W. Bush. Unidentified...
Jesse Jackson Jan-18-2001, All Things Considered
...Jesse Jackson . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on reaction to the news that the Reverend Jesse Jackson is the father of a 20-month-old daughter, out of wedlock. Jackson released a statement...
Bush With Black Religious Leaders Dec-21-2000, Morning Edition
...Bush With Black Religious Leaders . NPR's Phillip Martin reports that key African-American religious leaders meeting with President-elect George W. Bush are raising questions about what...
Turned Away at the Polls Dec-16-2000, All Things Considered
...groups say these efforts included an attempt by election officials to weed out voters who may have had a criminal past. From Florida, NPR's Phillip Martin reports. PHILLIP MARTIN...
Lingering Bad Feelings Dec-14-2000, All Things Considered
...period will not be easily bridged. As NPR's Phillip Martin reports, many blacks contend their votes were often discouraged or disallowed. PHILLIP MARTIN reporting: The sounds...
The Black Vote Dec-12-2000, Morning Edition
...The Black Vote . Following an NAACP rally in Miami yesterday, minorities are describing a sense of disenfranchisement over these elections. NPR's Phillip Martin reports. . . BOB EDWARDS,...
Voter Rights Dec-01-2000, All Things Considered
...Florida Circuit Court next week. The NAACP is alleging that polling place incidents may have denied some African-Americans the right to vote. NPR's Phillip Martin reports. PHILLIP...
Black Vote Nov-18-2000, All Things Considered
...ballots in that state believe the unspoken issue is race. NPR's Phillip Martin spoke to African-Americans in Boston and filed this report. PHILLIP MARTIN reporting: Like everyone...
Black Vote Oct-24-2000, All Things Considered
...Chicago, NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the get-out-the-vote effort, and the Republican's parry. . . LINDA WERTHEIMER, host: As the presidential race gets tighter, both Democrat...
Million Family March Oct-16-2000, Morning Edition
...Million Family March . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the Million Family March held today on the fifth anniversary of the Million Man March. Today's March is expected to bring attention...
Wen Ho Lee Fallout Oct-02-2000, All Things Considered
...Wen Ho Lee Fallout . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on Asian Americans who believe government and media handling of the Wen Ho Lee case exemplifies the power of lingering anti-Asian prejudice...
Elimination of Racial Discrimination Sep-22-2000, Morning Edition
...yesterday, US officials cited progress in efforts to overcome racism, but acknowledged that the nation still has further to go. NPR's Phillip Martin reports. PHILLIP MARTIN reporting:...
Redeem the Dream Aug-25-2000, Morning Edition
...I>Redeem the Dream . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on Redeem the Dream an event commemorating the 37th anniversary of the March on Washington at which Martin Luther King Junior...
Blacks and Jews Aug-15-2000, All Things Considered
...candidate could serve the interests of African-Americans. NPR's Phillip Martin reports from Boston that the question reflects a long-standing tension between blacks and Jews. PHILLIP...
Urban League Jul-26-2000, All Things Considered
...Urban League . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the National Urban League's annual assessment of African American progress. The "State of Black America" report shows home ownership at...
NAACP Convention in Baltimore Jul-14-2000, Morning Edition
...NAACP Convention in Baltimore . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on this week's NAACP National convention in Baltimore. After years of sagging influence, the organization is now returning...
NAACP Convention Jul-11-2000, Morning Edition
...NAACP Convention . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the NAACP convention in Baltimore, Maryland. Yesterday before a skeptical audience Republican Presidential candidate George W. Bush...
Bush and The NAACP Jul-10-2000, All Things Considered
...Bush and The NAACP . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on George W. Bush's speech to the NAACP Annual Convention in Baltimore. Leaders of the revitalized civil rights organization say that...
NAACP Jul-09-2000, All Things Considered
...networks to increase the number of minority characters. NPR's Phillip Martin is in Baltimore at the convention and joins us. Hello, Phillip. PHILLIP MARTIN reporting: Hello,...
NAACP Convention Jul-08-2000, Weekend Edition - Saturday
...NAACP Convention . The NAACP convenes it's annual convention in Baltimore. NPR's Phillip Martin reports. . . SCOTT SIMON, host: This is NPR's WEEKEND EDITION. I'm Scott Simon....
Down on the Corner Jun-16-2000, Morning Edition
...Down on the Corner . NPR's Phillip Martin on an urban tradition... hanging out on the street-corner with your friends. He visits some neighborhoods in Boston where the practice is still...
H. Rap Brown May-04-2000, All Things Considered
...killer, while community and civic leaders respect him as a dedicated Muslim cleric committed to cleaning up black communities. NPR's Phillip Martin reports. . . LINDA WERTHEIMER, host:...
Legacy of Slavery Apr-15-2000, Weekend Edition - Saturday
...families who were part of the history of slavery in the American North. From Winthrop, Massachusetts, NPR's Phillip Martin reports. SOUNDBITE OF TRAFFIC NOISE PHILLIP MARTIN...
African Immigrants After Diallo Mar-28-2000, All Things Considered
...how the case has affected their attitudes and ideas about the meaning of blackness in America. Phillip Martin reports from New York. . . LINDA WERTHEIMER, host: This is NPR's ALL...
Draft Dodger Returns Feb-27-2000, Weekend Edition - Sunday
...London for the trans-Atlantic flight to a country he thought he might never see again. NPR's Phillip Martin has the story. SOUNDBITE OF CLAPPING; CHEERS PHILLIP MARTIN reporting:...
The Unsung of Civil Rights Feb-15-2000, Morning Edition
...The Unsung of Civil Rights . In part three of a Black History Month series titled "The Unsung of Civil Rights", NPR's Phillip Martin reports from Sylvania, Georgia on Karen Watson, founder...
The Unsung of Civil Rights Feb-08-2000, Morning Edition
...i>The Unsung of Civil Rights . In Part two of a Black History Month series titled The Unsung of Civil Rights NPR's Phillip Martin reports on some of the people that died...
The Unsung of Civil Rights Feb-01-2000, Morning Edition
...The Unsung of Civil Rights . In part one of a Black History Month series titled "The Unsung of Civil Rights" NPR's Phillip Martin features Ted Landsmark of Boston.. . BOB EDWARDS, host:...
Jefferson & Hemmings Jan-26-2000, All Things Considered
...Jefferson & Hemmings . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on today's acknowledgement by the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation that Jefferson likely was the father of one, if not all six,...
Draft Dodger Seeks Pardon Jan-05-2000, Morning Edition
...Draft Dodger Seeks Pardon . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on an African-American man who fled the U.S. four decades ago after being convicted of draft dodging. He says the sentence was...
MINORITIES ON TV Dec-26-1999, All Things Considered
...MINORITIES ON TV . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the NAACP's decision to postpone its planned boycott of network television. Since the boycott was proposed this summer, television...
Hate Group Recruitment Dec-16-1999, All Things Considered
...Hate Group Recruitment . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the growing problem of hate group recruitment among white American youth. Martin visits Franklin, Massachusetts, one of the suburban...
Racial Screening Nov-30-1999, Talk of the Nation
...join the conversation, give us a call here in Washington at 1 (800) 989-8255; that's 1 (800) 989-TALK. And we'll begin now with Phillip Martin, our race-relations correspondent here...
Arab-Americans - Congress Nov-24-1999, All Things Considered
...Arab-Americans - Congress . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on Arab-American protests over Republican revisions of a proposed Congressional resolution. Originally, the document opposed...
Census Bureau Hires Non-Citizens Nov-23-1999, Morning Edition
...Census Bureau Hires Non-Citizens . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on efforts to make the upcoming census as accurate as possible with respect to the counting of minorities. The U.S. Census...
State of Black America Nov-16-1999, All Things Considered
...State of Black America . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the National Urban League's annual study on the state of black America. The report concludes that African-Americans as a whole...
Redefining Minorities Oct-19-1999, All Things Considered
...Redefining Minorities . In the wake of a new report by the College Board, NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the way high academic achievement by Asians has complicated the meaning of the...
COLOR and TV Oct-17-1999, All Things Considered
...long way to go before it makes up for all those years that the networks have been so white. NPR's Phillip Martin went to Hollywood to explore the issue of color on network TV. SOUNDBITE...
Race and Education Sep-11-1999, Weekend Edition - Saturday
...Race and Education . Using the data from a recent NPR/Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Kaiser Family Foundation survey, NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the differences...
National Urban League Aug-09-1999, Morning Edition
...National Urban League . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the annual conference of the National Urban League in Houston. The 89-year-old civil rights organization still does a lot of work...
TV Networks and Race Jul-28-1999, All Things Considered
...TV Networks and Race . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the continuing controversy over the shortage of minorities on new fall television programs. With black and Hispanic civil rights...
La Raza Jul-24-1999, Weekend Edition - Saturday
...La Raza . The National Council of La Raza opens its annual meeting today in Houston, Texas. La Raza is a Latino advocacy group. NPR's Phillip Martin has a preview. . . SUSAN STAMBERG,...
Journalists of Color Conference Jul-14-1999, Morning Edition
...Journalists of Color Conference . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on the "Unity 99--Journalists of Color Conference" held last week in Seattle. Many reporters, editors and producers at...
UNITY and Politics Jul-09-1999, All Things Considered
...candidate to appear. NPR's Phillip Martin reports that the candidates have had to answer many questions about issues of affirmative action and race relations. PHILLIP MARTIN REPORTING:...
Minority Journalists' Conference Jul-06-1999, Morning Edition
...Minority Journalists' Conference . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on Unity 99, a meeting of minority journalists convening this week in Seattle. The city recently passed a measure eliminating...
New Jersey & Racial Profiling Jun-10-1999, Morning Edition
...New Jersey & Racial Profiling . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on accusations of racial profiling--the practice of police stopping motorists based on their race--in New Jersey. Officials...
White South Africans Jun-03-1999, Morning Edition
...White South Africans . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on South Africans who currently live in America. Approximately 250-thousand South Africans are in the U.S, most of whom are white....
COX REPORT - ASIAN AMERICANS May-26-1999, All Things Considered
...COX REPORT - ASIAN AMERICANS . NPR's Phillip Martin reports on how the China Nuclear espionage scandal is being perceived in the Asian American community. There's concern that the...
JEFFERSON'S DECENDANTS May-17-1999, Morning Edition
...JEFFERSON'S DECENDANTS . NPR's Phillip Martin reports that yesterday descendants of Sally Hemings were invited to participate in the annual Jefferson gathering at Monticello, Jefferson's...
Teens and Hate Apr-30-1999, All Things Considered
...In Littleton, I thought it was really stupid, how they went in there and shot everybody. And I think race is a stupid thing to kill people over. MARTIN: Phillip Martin, NPR News,...
Interracial Marriage Ban Apr-15-1999, Morning Edition
...and whites cannot marry. NPR's Phillip Martin reports that in the South, attitudes toward interracial marriage are often influenced by religious faith. PHILLIP MARTIN REPORTING:...
Nation of Islam's Future Apr-07-1999, Morning Edition
...Nation of Islam's Future . NPR Phillip Martin reports that with Louis Farrakhan's anticipated release from Howard University Hospital today, the future of the Nation of Islam is unclear....
NY Police Dept. Feb-22-1999, Morning Edition
...NY Police Dept. . NPR's Phillip Martin reports from New York City on the controversy following the shooting death earlier this month of an unarmed West African immigrant by four white...
Is Williams Black Enough Feb-03-1999, All Things Considered
...Is Williams Black Enough . NPR''s Phillip Martin reports on how easy it is to stumble while walking the line between being ''not black enough'' and ''too black''. When Washington DC...
NEWTON RAPE CASE Jan-31-1999, Weekend Edition - Sunday
...NEWTON RAPE CASE . NPR''s Phillip Martin reports on a controversial case in Newton, Massachusetts where a young white girl alleges that she was raped by a black man. The case has all...
RACE Jan-20-1999, All Things Considered
...RACE . NPR's Phillip Martin watched the State of the Union address last night with a group of people in Brookline Massachusetts. Despite the powerful distractions of scandal and impeachment...
WHITE MAN'S BURDEN Jan-18-1999, All Things Considered
...appeared, some white male students at Boston College have been thinking new thoughts about the meaning of race. NPR's Phillip Martin reports. . . LINDA WERTHEIMER, co-host: At...
RACE RELATIONS IN '98 Jan-02-1999, Weekend Edition - Saturday
...RACE RELATIONS IN '98 . NPR's race relations correspondent Phillip Martin reports on the national discussion on race in 1998. . . SCOTT SIMON, HOST: This is NPR's WEEKEND EDITION....
"AFRICANS IN AMERICA" Oct-19-1998, Morning Edition
...AFRICANS IN AMERICA" . Phillip Martin begins a series of NPR reports on the history of the slave trade. The reports are in collaboration with a PBS documentary titled "Africans in America--...
CONTROVERSIAL ART PIECE TO BE DISMANTLED Aug-24-1998, Morning Edition
...CONTROVERSIAL ART PIECE TO BE DISMANTLED . Phillip Martin reports that a controversial piece of art installed in a rundown section of Detroit will be dismantled today. The installation,...
JUSTICE THOMAS SPEAKS TO NATIONAL BAR Jul-29-1998, Morning Edition
...JUSTICE THOMAS SPEAKS TO NATIONAL BAR . Association -- Phillip Martin reports that controversy surrounds Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' planned speech today in Memphis. Justice...

My Analysis

Why do most major news organizations and pundits of every stripe continue to downplay the Martin Luther King Jr. speeches that excoriated the United States government and society for involvement in Vietnam, abuse of migrant workers and so-called minorities, attacks upon and neglect of the poor, police violence, corporate greed, and support for apartheid in the 1960’s. I believe the reason is that to legitimize King’s more “controversial” stances would de-legitimize how Americans like to regard themselves: In the safe racial framework of “I Have a Dream”, which policy makers, think tankers and corporate media hold up as paradigmatic of the American way of thinking. It’s a thought process akin to the oft used and utterly ridiculous phrase uttered by far too many white Americans (as well as some black, Asian, red and brown folks too) “I don’t see color”.

Color blindness is not a virtue. It is how we respond to color and assign meaning to color that’s of paramount importance.

If the content of many of MLK’s post-1963 speeches were compared to those of Jeremiah Wright’s (in context), the similarities might force many Americans to confront the core of contradictory individual and institutionalized racism rather than tinker at its edges. Many might look around their jobs and question why there are few if any people of color working with them. Some will infer that they are unqualified. Others might conclude that discrimination is still very much a fact of life in U.S. society. Many might see among other things that Katrina, for example, typified a policy of neglect and was not the great exception that some continue to posit. Many would see that Iraq is not an aberration of U.S. foreign policy, but a continuation of policies of intervention to establish governments friendly to U.S. geo-political objectives and economic imperatives that only mildly resemble democracy.

In this context, the Martin Luther King Jr. speech you are unlikely to ever hear was his address delivered on April 4, 1967 at the famous Riverside Church in New York City.

Here are excerpts that you may never hear on CBS, NBC, ABC and especially the Fox News Network

…I knew that America would never invest the necessary funds or energies in rehabilitation of its poor so long as adventures like Vietnam continued to draw men and skills and money like some demonic destructive suction tube. So, I was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such.

I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today -- my own government.

And so we have been repeatedly faced with the cruel irony of watching Negro and white boys on TV screens as they kill and die together for a nation that has been unable to seat them together in the same schools. And so we watch them in brutal solidarity burning the huts of a poor village, but we realize that they would hardly live on the same block in Chicago. I could not be silent in the face of such cruel manipulation of the poor.

Martin Luther King Jr. was both a dreamer and a realist. His speeches reflected both his hope for the future and a realistic assessment of race and class in America and the debacle we called Vietnam.

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Saturday, September 19, 2009

Hotel Housekeepers Protest Mass Firing In Boston

WGBH , PRI and BBC Announce a World-Wide Reporting Initiative Focused on Color

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