by Kira Banks | Dec 30, 2008 | Opinion Pieces
It was already a lose, lose situation. However, Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush’s comments made it more of an uncomfortable one. Rep. Rush’s statements at the press conference where Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced his choice of Roland Burris for the...
by Kira Banks | Dec 22, 2008 | Opinion Pieces
The holiday season always reminds me how territorial we can be. The “war on Christmas” argument has come back, and we are made to feel “damned if we do, damned if we don’t.” There’s nothing inherently wrong with saying “Merry...
by Kira Banks | Dec 7, 2008 | Opinion Pieces
Everything old is new. Recently, we have rejuvenated the genetic determinism debate in several ways. Read the full article at stlbeacon.org
by Kira Banks | Nov 21, 2008 | Opinion Pieces
The recent criticism by Ayman al-Zawahiri of Obama as the anti-Malcolm X illustrates the tendency to homogenize racial groups. This Al-Qaeda leader suggested that Obama, along with Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell, were “house slaves.” This term refers to...
by Kira Banks | Nov 6, 2008 | Opinion Pieces
America can change. This much is true. It was evident in the reflections of both candidates. Sen. Barack Obama called for a renewed sense of unity, accountability and self-reliance. His speech in Chicago was a call to action for all Americans to join together. The...
by Kira Banks | Oct 22, 2008 | Opinion Pieces
I’ve asserted time and time again that “race matters,” but given the recent happenings it’s also important to be clear that it is not “everything.” It seems that our default is to claim colorblindness or name race as the cause and cure. The dichotomy that race means...
