Free Republic

Racists tried to vilify an Oakland elementary school for organizing a playdate specifically for Black, Latino and AAPI families. Their hate only reinforced the importance of creating more of these safe spaces.

The equity and inclusion committee at Oakland’s Chabot Elementary School didn’t publish the emails and phone numbers of organizers when advertising its “playdate” for students of color on Aug. 26. “Something told me not to do it,” said Briana, the co-chair of the committee who is Black, has a child who attends the school and asked that I not use her last name due to safety concerns. “Maybe it was my ancestors talking to me.” Those ancestors must have known racism is still thriving in the nation. The Bay Area is no exception. Two days after the playdate, hate mail,...

Last week, I spent an hour talking to Janelle Wong about the misconceptions around who is perpetuating anti-Asian violence. Wong, a professor of American and Asian American studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, knew I was planning to write a column. Before getting off the phone, she sighed, laughed and said, “Good luck.”

The Jack London I learned about in grade school was a seafaring adventurer. High school teachers taught me about his prolific pen and penchant for weaving together intoxicating descriptions of elemental sensations. It wasn’t until adulthood that I realized London was more complicated than his reputation. While he was noted for being a progressive socialist, London was also adept at dystopian race-baiting and published horribly xenophobic prose, including about Asian people. Some of his writing also revealed an affinity for white supremacy.