Posted on 03/19/2013 6:19:50 PM PDT by Altura Ct.
Philadelphia Magazine editor Tom McGrath and Robert Huber, author of the controversial "Being White in Philly" cover story, faced their critics at a forum Monday night at the National Constitution Center.
McGrath opened by saying he was sorry to anybody who was hurt by the article, because that was not his intent, but adding that he did not regret publishing the story in the March issue.
Huber told the packed auditorium of about 200 people that the purpose of the article was to explore "how white people relate to black people in the inner city, or don't relate to them."
In his piece, Huber wrote: "We need to bridge the conversational divide so that there are no longer two private dialogues in Philadelphia - white people talking to other whites, and black people to blacks - but a city in which it is OK to speak openly about race."
The story, however, was criticized as dwelling on negative experiences that whites had with blacks that often fit into racial stereotypes.
In a scathing letter, Mayor Nutter last week requested that the Philadelphia Human Relations Commission consider whether the magazine and Huber deserved to be rebuked for the article.
Nutter said Huber ignored positive anecdotes "to feed his own misguided perception" that African Americans are "lazy, shiftless, irresponsible, and largely criminal."
McGrath served as moderator for a panel that included Huber; journalists Solomon Jones and Christopher Norris; People's Emergency Center president Farah Jimenez; and University of Pennsylvania lecturer Walter Palmer, who teaches about racism and social change.
Jones ripped Philadelphia Magazine for what he said was the publication's history of racial insensitivity - a contention Nutter also raised in his letter.
"This is the most infuriating thing about it," Jones said. "I was not surprised."
Jimenez said Philadelphia Magazine, which has an all-white editorial staff, was not the right "messenger" for a story encouraging racial dialogue.
She also repeatedly said the magazine and its critics were confusing issues of race with problems associated with being poor.
Norris said that he understood the outrage over the article, but simply viewed the piece as the work of an older white man writing about his experience. Huber is 58.
When McGrath was questioned about his staff's lack of diversity, he replied, "I'm committed to having a more diverse staff," and, "I am committed to do something."
He also was asked why the magazine had a different cover for copies distributed to hotels and tourists. McGrath said it was a long-standing practice to use alternate covers when the main cover was controversial. He cited a cover that depicted a gun, saying a different cover was used for hotel copies.
The article was criticized for quoting people only by their first names, and one audience member questioned whether they were actual people.
McGrath said the magazine contacted everyone quoted in the story as part of its fact-checking process. "We are confident Bob did not make any of this up," McGrath said.
Several participants noted that Monday was the fifth anniversary of President Obama's famous Constitution Center speech on race, after his 2008 campaign was rocked by the Jeremiah Wright controversy.
While anger was directed at McGrath and Huber, there were several heated exchanges between some black audience members and black panelists about crime and personal responsibility in African American communities.
McGrath said the process of guiding the story to publication and the subsequent reaction was "enlightening to me."
I read a good part of the article and thought it was fair and honest.
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I disagree. It was sugar-coated. The author was pitching soft-balls. He didn’t go nearly far enough in being blunt, open and honest about the realities of Filthy-delphia.
But I guess if he had spoken the plain truth - it would have been too easy for Nutter and other racists to play the Race Card.
Nutter said Huber ignored positive anecdotes “to feed his own misguided perception” that African Americans are “lazy, shiftless, irresponsible, and largely criminal.”
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The article didnt say that. But I guess Nutter is smart enough to recognize the plain truth.
If people in Philadelphia have racist problems, I suggest you people find a porch and start a discussion. Maybe get yourself a cat, too.
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One Russian lady that was interviewed in that article wondered why Americans tolerate scores of Philly blacks who do nothing but sit on their porch, smoke dope and collect welfare.
But I take it you don’t want dope smoking as part of the equation. Just discussing things and petting cats.
(lolol)
BTW, the article itself is excellent, which probably means there won’t be any more of them—ever.
Where is Jack Nicholson screaming”You can’t handle the truth”.
Eric Holder is full of Shyt.
He would lose that dialog, and he knows it.
Maybe it would have been OK to include those two if Huber had had "balance"--20 or 30 comments from black Philadelphians slamming all whites to balance the two non-black women.
The Panamanian's race was not identified and she may have been white, but most Panamanians are mestizo and some have some black West Indian ancestry, but in this country having both Hispanic and black ancestry usually means being counted as Hispanic or white--see George Zimmerman. Rod Carew and Juan Williams are both Panamanians by birth.
I read most of it in an English Major ‘read’ sort of way, and I thought it was thoughtful, honest, and well-written. It is very ‘bad’ to dare to NOT be PC, to speak that which ‘should not be spoken,’ to dare to Speak the Truth. They killed the Prophets. I hope this bold man stands firm and doesn’t cave to the pressure. Disgusting Commie-Racists!
As a resident of the Philadelphia suburbs, I’m so tired of Nutter.
Most of this city is an absolute cease pool, minus a few select pockets. Every major university located IN the city, is surrounded by crime-ridden neighborhoods.
If you come to Philly and want to see it’s underbelly at a safe distance, ride the r7. You can see the fruits of liberal policies as you ride by crack house after crack house.
We have “flash mobs” of young minorities who beat up folks or ransack stores.
Everyone I know from Philadelphia or the burbs limit their interaction to the few pockets of normalcy. However, some of those strong pockets are beginning to fold. Old City, a popular hotspot in my college years, is now avoided by anyone with common sense. Numerous students have been killed or beaten down there after a night out on the town.
Nutter basically wants to revoke the 1st Amendment rights of this journalist because he was honest, and the people he interviewed were honest.
How is writing an article on race the equivalent of yelling fire in a theater. Nutter hates the Second Amendment, and now he’s attacking the 1st. I don’t think there’s an Amendment he doesn’t want to infringe upon.
“But I take it you don’t want dope smoking as part of the equation. Just discussing things and petting cats.”
You’re right. My cat stopped smoking dope back in 1977.
Your humor is on target, though.
LOL!
Everybody and his brother these days who says anything at all that isn’t one hundred perent politically correct ends up hauled before the Supreme Soviet for a session of self-criticism and social correction.
Why did we bother spending all those tens and hundreds of millions of dollars and countless thousands of lives fighting communism?
The rotted fruit of the Great Society....
When liberals call for a dialogue on race - they mean they want black radicals to talk AT white conservatives.
It is my observation and hiring experience that Hispanics want to and have a will to work -- hard! -- and do not particularly take welfare as an honorable situation to remain in. Please God to pass that trait to their children through their parents' example.
I have a son wise in fingering the sources of such episodes. He always tells me, "Dad, don't try to figure out the politics -- just follow the money trail." And you know what? He's always right.
There is quite a battle going on for the Latino mind. Those whom you correctly identify as having the work ethic face having it undermined by the blandishments offered to them by the Democrats. Unfortunately, statistics seem to tell us the numbers of those who succumb is growing very rapidly.
Please bear in mind also that many illegal aliens go legal, usually concurrent with the birth of an "anchor baby.". That does not change the fact that their American careers began illegally and that you certainly know that if they were not here, that work you offer would go to an American already here.
You are also ignoring the fact that Latino immigration, legal and illegal, is inevitably and with incredible rapidity changing the USA into the northernmost Latin American country. You OK with that? Really?
Off hand I'd say that your compassionate remarks are reminding me mightily of that charming wealthy California Republican class who were very protective of "their" Mexicans. Loved their vaqueros, cooks, nanny, gardeners, and butlers. Case in point: garrulous Congressman B-1 Bob Dornan who only woke up (a little) when a Mexican whose parents were illegals stole HIS job.
For both our sakes, I hope that the descendants of your "hard workers" vote Republican and not to reunite Aztlán with México.
Well, DUH!!
To anyone other than a sycophant of the leftist mainstream media, journalism (the reporting kind) is supposed to be "unimaginative", and is supposed to report the facts as collected.
Root of the problem: liberals are genetically unable to deal with facts and truth, and believe all writing should only be propaganda supporting their twisted points of view.
The article was truthful and fair -- and stayed on the subject. No wonder the leftist racists hated it!
Right... except they don't stay suburbs -- thanks to "urban sprawl" (aka spreading 'hood rot")...
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