From Magic Negro to Malcolm X

Not to say this is worth celebrating, but tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of David Ehrenstein writing a piece in the Los Angeles Times calling Barack Obama a "Magic Negro." That is, a black person who makes white people feel good.

Rush Limbaugh thought it was ridiculous. His team quickly came up with a hilarious parody, which you can download here for free (scroll to the bottom, hit "free," on the second page, "scroll down to the password, wait for the timer to expire, type in the password, then download).

Fast forward to a year later--Barack Obama is now Barack X. Is anyone questioning if he is black? Now the concern is that he will wear a Dashiki and give the Black Power salute at his inauguration. With his approval ratings in freefall because of the controversy over pastor Wright, Obama will give a major address on race. Perhaps he should try to convince folks that he really is a Magic Negro.

CJL

Park Chung-hee: Dictator or benevolent autocrat? (The Korea Herald, July 20, 2011)

The Korea Herald published my analysis of Willam Easterly's paper "Benevolent Autocrats." Check it out at the CFE Website . Easterly questions if "benevolent autocrats" really deserve credit for high economic growth. The Idiots' Collective calls it "a must-read" piece. I agree. [Casey Lartigue, Jr.] Park Chung-hee: Dictator or benevolent autocrat? It ain’t necessarily so. That’s what New York University economics professor William Easterly essentially says about crediting “benevolent autocrats” like South Korea’s Park Chung-hee for high growth rates. In “Benevolent Autocrats,” a provocative working paper posted in May, Easterly 1) argues that economists should be skeptical of the “benevolent autocrat” theory; (2) questions whether benevolent autocrats truly deserve credit for growth; (3) and concedes he is making a losing argument because cognitive biases lead many to believe in benevolent autocrats regardless...

2015-04-25 First-time TNKR speaker

When I hear people say that South Koreans don't care about North Koreans, I have three main responses. 1) North Koreans are one of many groups that South Koreans don't care about. 2) The ones who do care, care a lot! Let's focus on getting them more involved rather focusing on the ones not involved. 3) It may just be that those of us engaged in activism for NK refugees need to try different methods rather than dismissing or denouncing others for not getting involved... http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2015/01/626_155820.html Last night, Saturday April 25, 2015, I met with two South Koreans to help a North Korean refugee get ready for her first public speech. Thanks so much, TNKR co-director Lee Eunkoo and TNKR coach Clare JH Yun! It will be a challenge, will be this particular speaker's first speech in English. She is also a newcomer to English. But her determination, wow! She is studying with a few coaches in the Teach North Korean Refugees project. I wish...

Get rid of that watermelon!

Part 1: When I was a youngster I used to collect Confederate money, posters and photographs with caricatures of blacks, and "No blacks allowed signs." I loved the money because it was a reminder of how far the sorry Confederacy had fallen. I had one poster of a dark-skinned black boy munching on a watermelon. I would look at that small poster and wonder, "What in the world is wrong with anyone wanting to eat watermelon?" Yes, white people, I'm talking to you. Your parents, grandparents, and other ancestors who thought making fun of blacks for eating watermelon were crazy ! Even people who say that nothing has changed in race relations must acknowledge that the many stereotypes of blacks are no longer prevalent. But then, there are also some ready to remind us of days-gone-by by debunking stuff that doesn't need to be debunked today. According to the Washington Post: The sound you just heard was yet another racial stereotype going kersplat ! Some ...

2014-02-14 Yeon-Mi Park`s debut

Yeonmi Park, February 14, 2014, making her debut! Yesterday I was one of the speakers at a special session on North Korean refugees at the Canadian Maple International School. Wow, it was a wonderful time! * Yeon-Mi Park delivered her first major speech in English. She was wonderful! She told her story (35 minute speech without notes), discussed different aspects of North Korea, and then handled questions from students for more than an hour. She did seem to be nervous at the beginning-she took a deep breath just as she started, looked at me, then told her story from her heart. * Returning from the speech, I told Yeonmi that she had star potential. She told me that she didn't believe it, but I told her that the way she handled Q&A and told her story, I would be lucky to have her still returning my phone calls within a year. * The students had many questions. They have been learning about North Korea. They are now reading "Escape from Camp 14" featuring Shin Dong-h...

Happy birthday, Van Hur!

Happy Birthday Van Hur ! https://www.facebook.com/donate/615500319003859/ We first met in mid-2014. I was at a café, waiting for Yeonmi Park. Yeonmi and I were working together on several projects, including three speeches she was going to deliver in 11 days throughout Europe. As I waited, Van said hello to me and invited me to join a small group discussion he was hosting. I joined with them, talking about various issues. They invited me to join their discussion regularly, but I explained that I was working on several projects with a North Korean refugee who would become internationally known, so I expected that I would be able to join them sometime in the next year. A month later, Yeonmi gained international attention with a speech at One Young World. When Yeonmi arrived that day, I said goodbye to Van's group, but we stayed in touch. They later learned that the young lady I had been meeting with is the same one that people around the world were talking about. In January ...

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