jena 6

this weekend i had my first letter to the editor of the philadelphia inquirer published.
i was responding to this guy's racist and infuriating letter. of course my letter was edited down a lot, but you can still get the gist.
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Here's my letter, which was published on Saturday:

I was saddened to read "The real victim in Jena is white," (letter, Sept. 24). The letter is a reminder that ignorance and racism exist even in a big city, not just in a small Southern town.

The writer says the uproar over the arrest of the "Jena Six" "has white people shaking our heads" and that the "real victim" is the white student.

I am white, and the author does not speak for me. Nor does he speak for my white family members, my white friends, or the white members of my church. He is right about one thing: The white people I know are "shaking our heads." We're shaking our heads in disgust and outrage at the persistence of racism in our criminal "justice" system.
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For more information on the Jena 6 case, check Color of Change or
Free the Jena 6.

where i've been

hi faithful readers,

i apologize for my long absence.
both of my parents were recently hospitalized. my mom had a life-threatening medical event, and is still recovering at home. so i've been otherwise occupied but missing this space and dialogue with you all.

i can't promise i'll be posting often but will try to drop by on a more regular basis. for those of you who are not already email subscribers, feel free to sign up (top right corner where it says "subscribe to gloveandherspecialsauce by email") so you don't have to stop by to know when i've posted.

thanks to all of you who have emailed and sent cards and called and sent food and given hugs. you are appreciated.