Video Shows Cop Murdering Black Man

Ken AshfordRacial Homicides2 Comments

On Saturday, Water Scott, 50, was shot and killed by Officer Michael T. Slager of the North Charleston, South Carolina, police department, after a traffic stop. According to Slager’s initial report, Scott tried to take his Taser, and in the struggle, Slager had to fire in self-defense. Yesterday, a video surfaced from an anonymous witness.  In contradiction of Slager’s account, Scott is seen turning to … Read More

Too Many “Ethnics” On TV?

Ken AshfordPopular Culture, RaceLeave a Comment

Wow, this article is offensive.  Just the title alone — “Pilots 2015: The Year of Ethnic Castings – About Time or Too Much of Good Thing?” — stinks.  [Note to author Nellie Andreeva — the word “ethnic” means “of or relating to races or large groups of people who have the same customs, religion, origin, etc.” — which means white people are “ethnic” … Read More

Suicide Or Lynching?

Ken AshfordCrime, Race, Rightwing Extremism/ViolenceLeave a Comment

The last person who saw Otis Byrd before he disappeared was a friend who dropped him off on March 2 at a casino in Vicksburg, Miss. Byrd, 54, enjoyed going to casinos every so often before he went missing, a family member toldlocal television station KMBC. He reportedly attended church regularly and held down various jobs, including work on an … Read More

Michele Fiore Tries Even Harder To Replace Bachman

Ken AshfordRace, Right Wing Punditry/Idiocy1 Comment

It was only a few weeks ago that I wrote about Michele Fiore, a local congresswoman in Nevada, where I wondered aloud if she was to become the next Michelle Bachman.  It seems that she’s still trying to win my heart, using an offensive racial term common in the 1960s to describe an African American colleague. Assemblywoman Michele Fiore, R-Las Vegas, … Read More

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Racists Lawyer Up

Ken AshfordRaceLeave a Comment

Really? The local chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon is planning to pursue legal action against the University of Oklahoma, and possibly OU President David Boren. The group has hired high-profile attorney, Stephen Jones to represent them. Jones told NewsChannel 4 the group is outraged over President Boren shutting down the fraternity house and branding all SAE members as racists and … Read More

Rush Limbaugh Wonders Why White People Can’t Use Racial Epithets

Ken AshfordRace, Right Wing Punditry/IdiocyLeave a Comment

Facepalm: Rush Limbaugh is at it again. The conservative radio host surely seethed with indignation as he watched every decent-minded human being around him express outrage at a video of fraternity brothers chanting racist lyrics. On Wednesday, he finally spoke up. The problem wasn’t the words that the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) brothers were chanting, Limbaugh claims. It was the … Read More

News That Is Not News

Ken AshfordEducation, RaceLeave a Comment

What? There are racists in the Oklahoma State greek system?  Really?  In Oklahoma? The scandal isn’t that this exists.  It’s that it took a viral video for the school to actually do something about it.

The White Male Oscars

Ken AshfordPopular Culture, RaceLeave a Comment

I will do my Oscar predictions in the weeks to come, but in case you haven’t heard, not a single actor or actress of color was recognized by the Academy this year, despite a number of acclaimed films featuring non-white casts and directors. The last time there was no non-white in any of the four acting categories, and directing category, … Read More

3rd Highest Ranking Republican Admits Speaking At White Supremacist Group Conference

Ken AshfordPolitical Scandals, Race, RepublicansLeave a Comment

A rather auspicious start for the GOP’s attempt to re-brand itself and make itself appealing to minorities: Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the House majority whip, acknowledged Monday that he spoke at a gathering hosted by white-supremacist leaders while serving as a state representative in 2002, thrusting a racial controversy into House Republican ranks days before the party assumes control of … Read More

Cowboy Copz

Ken AshfordCrime, Race, Racial HomicidesLeave a Comment

I maintain that, under the legal system and the legal standards, the Ferguson grand jury did not have probable cause to indict Officer Darren Wilson.  That should prompt a discussion as to whether the legal system is sufficient to take care of what is clearly a national problem — the prevalence of cop-on-black violence. But that discussion is for another day  I write here … Read More

Grand Jury Announcement Today In Michael Brown Shooting

Ken AshfordCrime, Race, Racial HomicidesLeave a Comment

A decision has been reached by the grand jury deliberating whether to bring charges against Darren Wilson, the officer who fatally shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. I fully expect that no charges will be brought, and all hell will break loose.  Pretty predictable actually.  Laws give the police wide latitude in using deadly force.  Maybe those laws shouldn’t give wide latitude, … Read More

Anonymous Pulls The Hoods Off Klan Members

Ken AshfordRaceLeave a Comment

A number of Twitter accounts allegedly belonging to the Ku Klux Klan have been hacked by the Australian branch of activist group Anonymous. The accounts, including @YourKKKcentral and @KuKluxKlanUSA, were seized after Anonymous declared “cyber warfare” on the racist group. Members of the KKK have been threatening to use “lethal force” against demonstrators in Ferguson, Missouri, who are protesting about … Read More