Spectrum

In our everyday conversations, many of us use words or phrases that have racist meanings or derivations, even if we don’t intend our speech to be racist. Many of these words or phrases have worked their way into our common vernacular in a covert way and by their use promote inequality. Just a few examples are “master bedroom or master bathroom,” “blacklisting” someone, “uppity,” “black mark,” “sold down the river,” or “black sheep of the family” all have their derivations during slavery or reconstruction. The list of these types of terms is voluminous. The use of phrases of this nature perpetuate the master/slave dynamic and covertly and subtlety advance systemic racism through our normal speech, says Dr. Kalvin Harvell, professor of sociology at Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Michigan. Dr. Harvell has been the president of the Michigan Sociological Society and his is the founder of Harvell and Associates, an educational consulting firm. While the bulk of our racist speech is directed toward African Am

We are in the last seven days of the 2020 Presidential election, but it is a campaign and a race like no other. Traditional campaigning has been turned on its head. With seven days to go, 66 million people have already voted, eclipsing the total early vote count from 2016. Some experts say that by election day 85 million out of a total of 240 million eligible voters will have already submitted their votes. We have had 48 percent of the total vote in 2016 already vote, thereby, altering the dynamics of last-minute campaigning, says Philip Elliott, Washington Correspondent for TIME and a columnist for TIME’s new daily political newsletter, “The D.C. Brief.” Rallies and campaign events now rile up a candidate’s base vote, but last-minute policy arguments or issues are lost since so many people have already voted, he notes. The rallies also may not alter turnout. Campaigning during a pandemic also has highlighted the different personal styles of the candidates. President Trump has been full speed ahead having

In World War I, President Woodrow Wilson started an agency for governmental propaganda. It became the precursor and template of today’s governmental manipulation of information which often creates fictions and promotes those in power. Author, scholar, and journalist Dr. John Maxwell Hamilton delves into the birth of American government propaganda in his new book “Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda“ and traces its impact on the American Presidency from Woodrow Wilson to President Donald J. Trump. The first governmental propaganda agency was created just eight days after the USA entered World War I and only existed for 1.5 years, but it became the template for how the government can manipulate information to steer public opinion, says Dr. Hamilton The Committee on Public Information (CPI) was America’s first and only ministry of propaganda but it left a powerful legacy. Hamilton explains the pervasiveness of the Committee’s reach. It touched every part of America in

Despite protestations from some politicians, most medical experts and scientists are concerned with the rise of COVID-19 cases across the country, even before colder weather and flu season arrives. Numbers are rising in 33 states plus Puerto Rico with approximately 40,000 new cases daily. This is a major concern, says Dr. Kenneth Johnson, Executive Dean of the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and Chief Medical Affairs Director at Ohio University. Overall, we really haven’t made adequate progress in slowing the virus, he notes. He also worries about cold weather on the horizon. Colder weather forces more people inside where air circulation may be compromised allowing droplets and air contamination to spread more easily. In addition, colder weather brings on flu season. The flu plus COVID-19 may be a lethal combination. Combatting the coronavirus also is made more difficult when science and politics clash, according to Dr. Johnson. People, too often to their detriment, question the science behind t

With the COVID-19 pandemic plus racial turmoil across the nation, we are facing a Presidential Campaign and election like no other, says Philip Elliott, veteran Washington reporter and TIME’S Washington correspondent. As Public Health issues, the economy and racial inequities take center stage in this Presidential election year, an onslaught of books and media revelations have further complicated and muddled this election cycle, according to Elliott. Just recently there has been the publication of journalist Bob Woodward’s book “Rage” and the accompanying recordings about President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus threat, the military and foreign policy. Then there is the new book by Andrew Weissman disclosing political interference with Robert Mueller’s investigation of President Trump. The New York Times has unveiled an in-depth look at Trump’s tax records for multiple years showing he has either paid no or very little federal income tax for decades. Add to all of that, we have foreign interests con

Although it was found that foreign governments meddled with our 2016 Presidential Elections, the 2020 elections are still being plagued by foreign interference. However, more governmental units are working together to combat a repeat of the 2016 insurgence, according to Philip Ewing, veteran Washington reporter and Elections Security Editor for National Public Radio. The FBI as well as numerous intelligence agencies have targeted interference from Russia, China, Iran and other countries. This type of meddling involves foreign entities trolling Americans to sow extreme divisiveness among voting groups and against candidates, Ewing says. This election there is more coordinated government action, not only among agencies, but with social media companies like Facebook, Google, and Twitter regulating content, Ewing adds. Despite the amped up government attacks against outside interference, it still continues, according to Ewing. He also indicates that foreign governments have solicited America citizens to sow

There are too few African Americans in the country’s newsrooms and especially in news management positions. In 2020 racism still exists in America’s media companies from the smallest to the largest. Sometimes it is evident in hiring practices, promotions, or just in daily professional life. Traversing this media landscape is often difficult for Black journalists, says Allison Hunter, journalist, educator, activist and mother of two college age sons. Hunter has fought the racial battles within news organizations for the bulk of her career and she shares how she has survived professionally. She has over 20 years of experience in commercial television as an executive producer, assistant news director, and interim news director. She has worked from Cleveland, Dayton, and Cincinnati to Chicago and Los Angeles. Hunter is currently the Editor in Chief of WOUB News as part of WOUB Public Media at Ohio University. In this edition of WOUB’s Spectrum podcast, Hunter shares some of her survival tips and talks about

Historically, racism has permeated the American entertainment and music industries including movies, radio, television, and the recording industries. Blacks and black life have not been portrayed accurately and African Americans have been kept out of prime roles. However, there is some hope that the industries are taking seriously the recent claims of systemic racism and are trying, to some degree, to improve. So says Dr. Akil Houston, associate professor of Cultural and Media Studies at Ohio University. He notes that some improvements have been made since the recent killings of black men and women by white police officers but that any progress will be slow coming to an entertainment industry that is still white-centric. Dr. Houston highlights the racism that has been standard practice in the movie industry, television, and radio since their inception. He also talks about how racism has long been the cornerstone of the music industry. He is a cultural studies scholar who is multifaceted. He is a filmmake

There are major concerns about attempts being made around the country to suppress the black vote along with other non-white populations. This is especially true in urban areas and in the South. Polling places have been closed in some areas and voting machines have been limited thereby creating long lines of potential voters. These suppression attempts are teamed with President Donald Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting to raise doubts about the sanctity and security of our Presidential Election. Congresswoman Marcia Fudge has studied these issues in-depth and chairs the House Administration Committee’s Subcommittee on Elections. She and several of her colleagues are working feverishly to stem this tide but time is running short for this upcoming election. She has been working on a new Voting Rights Act that improves the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that was gutted by the United States Supreme Court in 2013. Congresswoman Fudge also has championed the Vote SAFE Act which promotes voter security and provi

Courts must speak out “clearly” against systemic racism in our criminal justice system and make much needed corrections, says Judge Benes Aldana, president of the National Judicial College. The National Judicial College has been in existence since 1963 and has educated thousands of judges from all 50 states and 150 different foreign countries. It is the premier national institution for continuing judicial education. In July, the Judicial College, under the leadership of Judge Aldana issued a statement condemning racism. The statement said, in part: “The National Judicial College condemns the recent killings of African-Americans George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and many others. We call for all people of conscience to commit to the hard work of confronting bigotry at every turn and ending racial injustice. Systemic racism has afflicted our justice system for far too long. Accountability has been lacking. The work to correct attitudes and prevent further discrimination, pain and d

It’s not easy for policy makers to determine how to open K-12 schools in the fall. Each school district must weigh multiple variables in determining whether face-to-face instruction is worth the risks or whether some form of remote learning is better. Each school must assess its situation and develop a comprehensive plan if re-opening face-to-face, says Dr. Kenneth Johnson, executive dean of the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at Ohio University. He says local school authorities have a “huge challenge” in making sure that students, staff, and teachers are medically protected during this COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Johnson outlines some factors that should be considered by school administrators, teachers, parents and students. Not only must the school adhere to mask-wearing policies and social distancing protocols, but the school must have procedures in place for testing students, faculty, and staff members, Dr. Johnson says. Additionally, there must be a comprehensive plan for a circumstance where

Code-switching is the ability of a person to switch between languages or dialects to meet communication needs. It also is the alteration of clothes, hairstyles and music from one environment to another to be accepted. Code-switching is something that white culture demands of blacks. In short, to be acceptable and not “other”, the white establishment demands that African Americans shed some of their racial being to navigate a white world. Inclusion means becoming like whites in speech and mannerism. Many whites see a person’s blackness in looks and culture to be alien and “less than.” Therefore, African Americans are faced with code switching daily. What is an acceptable way of speaking, looking or acting among their family members and friends may not be acceptable to a predominant white culture or the “professional world” that still judges people by white criteria. “It is difficult situation. Black people are not allowed to be black people in white spaces without adapting to white ways of speaking, dres

Are African American female public office holders treated differently than their white counterparts by local media? Two black female judges answer that questions with a resounding: YES. In our continuing in-depth conversations about race and racism, WOUB’s Spectrum Podcast talks with two first-time African American female judges from Northeastern Ohio, who bring to the bench a wealth of legal experience. Both were asked if they perceived any different treatment from local news media than is given to their white counterparts. Both provided situation upon situation where white judges were praised for activities that black judges were criticized for doing. These stories even include situations of disparate treatment by news media between how white and black judges handle court matters during the pandemic or follow guidelines from the state Supreme Court. The unfounded inferences often are that black female judges are lazy, dishonest, “shifty” and cannot be trusted to follow appropriate legal guidelines. No

Dr. Greg Hall is a primary care physician in Cleveland, Ohio who tailors his practice to specifically helping African Americans who have been short-changed by the traditional medical establishment. He says that racism is a public health crisis that manifests itself in many disparities between treatment of black patients and white patients. He cites the current COVID-19 pandemic as one example. But, Dr. Hall notes that 400 years of bad relationships between the white power structure and blacks have bred an inherent mistrust in the medical establishment by most blacks. He also notes that history is replete with medical abuses of blacks by whites, thereby heightening mistrust. Dr. Hall notes that there are medical differences in caring for African Americans who have illnesses like high blood pressure, diabetes, and other diseases but that there also are major communication differences. He must gain the trust of his patients before he can adequately treat them. Therefore, he gives them personal attention

African American children are often told by the white establishment that “education” is the way to obtain equality yet, at the same time, black children are not given equal educational opportunities. They are told to get a quality education at the same time their schools are underfunded, have old textbooks, and have overly stretched teachers, says Ray Freeman, vice-president of the Warrensville Heights School Board in Northeastern Ohio. The “achievement gap” is evident, according to Freeman and Judge Gayle Williams Byers of the South Euclid, Ohio Municipal Court. Black students with the same years of schooling do not perform overall as well as whites. But, it’s not the black child’s fault. They are told to succeed but not given the tools to succeed. Freeman adds. They are short-changed in many different ways on their educational experience. Freeman is a midwestern regional member of the National School Board Association and travels the country visiting schools, especially in impoverished neighborhoo

An African-American father and a black mother explain how they need to warn children about possible violence against them by police or others. This starts at a very young age and continues through young adulthood in a repetitive manner. It’s called “The Talk” and it happens in every black family with children, says Isaiah Simmons, a father, a minister, and a court bailiff. Simmons has a son and a daughter and also has mentored his teenage nephew and niece. “The Talk” gives practical tips to young blacks about how to behave if confronted by a police officer or another person in authority, where to put their hands and what to say or not say. These are not just parental lectures but instead are survival tips delivered by parents so that their children stay alive. I tell my son that when he goes out …I just want him to come home alive, says Gayle Williams-Byers judge of the South Euclid Municipal Court. Do whatever it takes to comply to protect your life, she says to him. We can work out the other details

Too often we, as a country, focus only on the incidents of violence perpetrated on African Americans by police officers instead of looking at the total picture of racism that perpetuates the criminal justice system from the streets to the courtrooms, says Judge Gayle Williams Byers, of the South Euclid Ohio Municipal Court. Racism goes well beyond what happens in the streets, she says. It truly is systemic. Judge Byers complains of over-policing in minority neighborhoods. “Overall, the issues related to police brutality and its intersection with black folk is “ground zero.” While the media has largely focused on the overreaching and many times illegal police tactics employed while interacting with the black community, they have overlooked the role that City Councils and Courts often play in setting these confrontations in motion,” says Judge Byers. She also claims that City’s use courts and over-policing as revenue streams. “Often, local governments use police forces and courts as revenue generating A

In 2012, Gayle Williams Byers was elected to become the first black judge for the South Euclid Municipal Court in Northeastern Ohio. She came to the job with a wealth of experience after being a Congressional staffer on Capitol Hill and after spending nearly a decade as an Assistant Prosecutor in Cuyahoga County (Cleveland-area). However, despite her election win, her experience and the honor of being the first female black judge in her court, she confronted forms of overt and covert racism from the start. Over the past eight years, it has been one racial insult or slight after another being generated by the white power establishment in her community. Repeated efforts have been made to intimidate her, question her character, and to minimize her powerful position. “If I, as judge, get treated in a racist manner, I can only imagine what happens to the average black person in the streets,” Judge Byers says. “We need to have a real and meaningful conversation about race as it permeates all aspects of society.

Since the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police, demonstrations against police violence have traversed the nation. Yet, during these demonstrations, there have been 383 press freedom incidents including some 173 assaults on journalists 78 physical attacks (50 by police) —49 tear gassings —27 pepper sprayings —89 rubber bullet / projectiles injuries and 48 equipment/newsroom damage cases, according to U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. There also have been 56 arrests of credentialed reporters by police. One CNN reporter was arrested on live television to be released shortly thereafter as the Governor of Minnesota apologized for the police action. Dr. Michael Bugeja, Distinguished Professor of Journalism at Iowa State University, says that this much targeting of journalists is “unprecedented.” He tells WOUB’s Spectrum Podcast that he feels some police are reacting to a new level of accountability brought on by the use of cellphones and technology. Cellphone videos captured by reporters and citi

Dr. James R. Gaskell has been a physician for over 50 years specializing in pediatrics. He also is the Health Commission of Athens City and County in Southeastern Ohio. When he took that job 20 years ago, he certainly didn’t expect to be fighting a major pandemic from the bottom up—from the grassroots front lines. He normally does his job in a small Appalachian community and rural county. His major fights concern populations who are impoverished, unemployed, and often opiate addicted. At the other end of the economic spectrum, his area also is the home of a major residential university…Ohio University, with nearly 19,000 undergraduates, graduate students and medical students from all over the world on the main campus. This adds to the disparate nature of the populations he serves. As the Coronavirus entered our country early in 2020, his job changed. His days now consist of making sure testing is available for his people (although it was slow trickling down to the rural areas), preparing local hospital