Perceptions of discrimination a black and white story
By Stephanie Siek, CNN
(CNN) - A study that examines three years of opinion survey data says that black and white Americans are still miles apart regarding their perceptions of equality or inequality among blacks and whites. It identifies racial bias among whites as a potential reason for that difference in perception.
"Post-Racial? Americans and Race in the Age of Obama," released Monday by the nonprofit Greenlining Institute, found a link between white survey respondents' perception of blacks and whether they believed discriminition to be a major problem in today's society.
When asked how much discimination currently exists in America, 56.4% of black respondents said there was "a lot." Among Latinos, 26.9% gave that answer. About the same amount – 26% – of respondents who reported their race as "other" said that. But only 16% of white respondents said they thought "a lot" of discrimination existed in today’s America. The majority of white respondents said there was either "some" (44.4%) or "a little" (39.5%) discrimination.
White people who said there was "some" or "a little" discrimination were more likely to agree with statements such as "Irish, Italians, Jewish and many other minorities overcame prejudice and worked their way up. Blacks should do the same without any special favors," and, "It’s really just a matter of some people not trying hard enough; if blacks would only try harder they could be just as well off as whites."
After Latino boom, Georgia town's population shifts again
By Nick Valencia and Leslie Tripp, CNN
Dalton, Georgia (CNN) - Pastor Ernesto Mendez looked over his congregation as sunlight poured through the windows of the Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida church one recent Sunday afternoon. The church was celebrating its 30th anniversary, and some 300 parishioners, nearly all of them Latino, were there to hear the service in Spanish.
On a projection screen behind them, there was a sentence in Spanish: “God sent Rev. Ernesto to Dalton for us.”
In this small southern town near the Tennessee border, it’s not uncommon to see huge crowds of Latinos gathered at church, at work or in school. The Latino population grew for decades as workers came to work in the city’s carpet and textile industry. As of 2010, 48% of the city’s 33,000 residents were Latino, according to the U.S. Census.
But Georgia’s new immigration law, known as HB 87, has caused some concern for Dalton’s Latino community. The law has been in effect about six months, though some of the strictest parts of the bill are under a court challenge. Those provisions would give officers the right to check for citizenship during a criminal investigation or to penalize someone knowingly transporting illegal immigrants during the commission of a crime. Speeding or driving without proper equipment could be considered crimes.
Justices accept Arizona's appeal over controversial immigration law
By Bill Mears, CNN Supreme Court Producer
(CNN) - The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether Arizona can enforce its controversial immigration law, over the strong objections of the Obama administration.
The justices made the announcement in a brief order Monday.
Federal courts had blocked key parts of the state's Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act, known as SB 1070. Arizona had argued illegal immigration was creating financial hardships and safety concerns for its residents and that the federal government has long failed to control the problem.
Tori Spelling’s tips on raising diversity conscious kids
Actress Tori Spelling and her husband, Dean McDermott, created "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood", which premiered November 29 at 10/9c on Oxygen.
The family plays and works together. Tori, Dean, Stella, and Liam show viewers what a family living and working in Hollywood is all about.
When CNN asked them about their children being exposed to ethnic diversity, Spelling said she often jokes that one day when they are old enough to even realize there is ethnic diversity, "they won't even know the differences because it all seems normal."
"Hopefully that next generation won't have to go through not being able to come out, being bullied, because everyone will think that this is just the way [they] were raised, everything is the norm," Spelling said.
Lowe's pulls advertising from TLC's 'All-American Muslim'
(CNN) - Lowe's has pulled its advertising from the reality TV show "All-American Muslim," which the retail store called a "lightning rod."
"All-American Muslim" is an eight-part series that follows five Muslim families living in Dearborn, Michigan.
"Lowe's has received a significant amount of communication on this program, from every perspective possible. Individuals and groups have strong political and societal views on this topic, and this program became a lightning rod for many of those views. As a result we did pull our advertising on this program," the company said in a statement Saturday.
"We believe it is best to respectfully defer to communities, individuals and groups to discuss and consider such issues of importance."
Engage: Latinos struggle after New Orleans revival
Engage with news and opinions from around the web about under-reported stories from undercovered communities.
Little credit for Latinos who helped re-build New Orleans – NPR
Military school kids outperform public school children – The New York Times
Obama's re-election gets personal – Los Angeles Times
Will New Jersey's black churches welcome gay leadership? – New Jersey Star-Ledger
Opinion: On Mrs. Long and Mrs. Cain: What's a woman to do?
Editor’s Note: George Alexander is an author, journalist and television producer.
By George Alexander, Special to CNN
“Should I stay or should I go?” The British punk band The Clash made that line popular back in 1982. And right now this lyric seems most fatedly relevant to the wives of once Republican presidential frontrunner Herman Cain, and Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church near Atlanta.
Recently, both women have found themselves in the media heat dealing with the dirty stuff of their husbands’ alleged past bad behavior.
Former New York State first lady Michelle Paige Paterson, the first African-American to serve in that position in New York and with whom I’m working on a memoir, “The Governor’s Wife,” shares in the book her timely thoughts on being married to a powerful man. Bottom line: It ain’t easy. Men with powerful positions and money are in many ways walking aphrodisiacs, according to Paterson. The fact that many of these powerful men spend a great deal of time away from their families and home only adds to the challenge of staying faithful.
About In America
What defines you? Maybe it’s the shade of your skin, the place you grew up, the accent in your words, the make up of your family, the gender you were born with, the intimate relationships you chose to have or your generation? As the American identity changes we will be there to report it. In America is a venue for creative and timely sharing of news that explores who we are. Reach us at inamerica@cnn.com.
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