Lessons from Liberia: Pray the Devil Back to Hell
Not unlike other international news lost in the maelstrom of the last eight years, the plunge of Liberia into utter, horrific chaos didn’t warrant significant U.S. news coverage or response. Not surprising. After all, Liberia is in Africa (country or a continent?) and even though it was born of former slaves from these shores it—like most African nations and peoples—seldom grabs U.S. attention. Read more
W., Reviewed
When I heard director Oliver Stone was making a movie about George W. Bush, I was intrigued. So intrigued, in fact, I bought my tickets ahead of time and waited in line with my boyfriend to get into the theater. As we waited, the previous showing was emptying out. The looks on the faces of exiting moviegoers should have been indication enough to drop our tickets and run. Nobody was smiling or talking, just a solemn, silent procession out of the theater. Two hours and nine minutes later I understood why. Read more
Anti-Immigrant Groups Spread Lies & Contribute to Voter Discrimination
Social Contract Press spreads lies about voter fraud and contributes to suppression of the voting rights of Latino citizens. Anti-Latino groups, like the FIRE Coalition, are using SCP’s false findings to encourage their followers to man the polls and discriminate against whomever they perceive as “illegal aliens”. This is voter suppression and it’s downright un-American.
No Blacks, Immigrants or Aliens Allowed;Review of The Brother From Another Planet
By Walidah Imarisha
I have probably seen John Sayles’ The Brother From Another Planet (1984) almost a dozen times. I first saw it when I was in high school, bored, flipping through our cable channels. I was skeptical at first, given the low budget special effects, but the film quickly sucked me in. Last year I taught in a college course my co-instructor and I put together called Race and Gender in Science Fiction Film. Through all my viewings, that was my first experience watching it with a large group of people and I fell in love with the film al over again for its uncompromising politics, its connections between people of color, and its biting wit.
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Black Superheroes Wanted
By Walidah Imarisha
Warning: Spoilers ahead!
How do you make a movie that relies entirely on America’s sordid racial history, without ever talking about race? Ask the makers of Hancock, they seem to have it down pat.
John Hancock [Will Smith] is a superhero that protects Los Angeles, begrudgingly. Drunk, foul mouthed, bedraggled, sexist, homophobic and ethnically insensitive, he’s about as far from a Superman as you’re ever going to get. But we find out that all Hancock needs is a little TLC.
A blow to the head 80 years ago erased his memory, so he lives in isolation from society, saving it without being of it. But all that changes when he meets Ray Embrey read more
Batman: Hoping for a Dark Knight
You will undoubtedly read and/or hear about the latest Batman film, The Dark Knight, in some form or another sometime in the next few weeks. Critics will rave about it, fans will recommend it, and kids will demand that parents take them to it. These are the ways things work in read more
Pop-Culture: The Monsters are Coming!
Don’t forget, it’s a conspiracy! While our national leaders repeatedly speak of red and orange terrorist alerts, while they warn us of “illegal” invaders, our American leaders inspire fear.
Or do they?
Why am I so jittery? Do I subconsciously mistrust what’s unknowingly familiar? And if so, what am I so uncertain about?
Do we crave fear, or do politicians campaign on behalf of trepidation?
Science fiction and horror movie reels are no longer a past-time fave. They’re here and each show is filled with wide-eyed anxious moviegoers: But why?
Recently a friend of mine urged me to see what the fuss was all about.
My nerves were loose and as read more
Who You Calling Illegal, Pilgrim: Children of Men review
By Walidah Imarisha
“As a struggle for the rights of immigrants and against discrimination emerged, Haitians and Dominicans began to coalesce, but the Irish were a bit stand-offish. Immigrant rights activists were at first perplexed until they uncovered that the Irish were being encouraged by Irish American politicians to keep themselves separate from other immigrant groups because it was likely read more
Audio: 2050 Inaugural Blogcast!
Yes, the Imagine 2050 blogcast is here! It’s a simple beginning for a wonderful project. I invite you to send in your ideas and input to 2050audio(at)gmail.com. This week we hear the opinions of some people “on the street” about this projected 2050 demographic shift and how that might impact our identity as Americans.
If you are reading this post through blogger.com and don’t see the audio player, you may download this weeks program by here. read more
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