The very long list of Republicans in Congress who have taken no position on Trump’s refugee ban

A very small number have expressed any kind of support for it.

Note: We are updating this story as more legislators put out statements.

Trump’s executive order, which bans entry into the US if you’re from one of seven Muslim-majority countries, was signed on Friday afternoon. Almost every Democratic member of Congress publicly opposed the order, either on Twitter, Facebook, or a statement.

But the list of every Republican legislator who did the same is very short as of Sunday morning:

Even fewer Republican legislators expressed any kind of support for the executive action, though one was a voice that carries particular weight: House Speaker Paul Ryan, whose spokeswoman AshLee Strong insisted Saturday that it was “not a religious test and it is not a ban on people of any religion.”

Few others backed it, though:

That leaves the large majority of legislators in this final column: those who said nothing or issued a statement that took no real position. (Note: We’ll update this list as we go.) Some legislators posted on social media about it, but took no stance, like Rep. Dave Trott and Rep. Dave Brat.

We visited every single legislator’s website and social media feeds, and it was eerie to see legislator after legislator posting on Facebook about Holocaust Remembrance Day — about how we can’t forget the atrocities, and how we can’t let it happen again.

via Vox – All http://j.mp/2k6oYNQ

bannon is the reason

the face of hate behind the face of hate.

http://www.vox.com/2017/1/27/14370854/trump-refugee-ban-order-muslim

When the ban came out, the fallout was everywhere, but this article

The exchange (which begins around the 17 minute mark here) starts Trump riffing about how top foreign-born Ivy league graduates should be allowed to stay in America where they can be “job creators.” But then Bannon spoke up to disagree, and he did so in a very revealing way:

TRUMP: We have to keep our talented people in this country.

BANNON: Um—

TRUMP: I think you agree with that. Do you agree with that?

BANNON: Well I got a tougher — you know, when two thirds or three quarters of the CEOs in Silicon Valley are from South Asia or from Asia, I think — on, my point is, a country’s more like, [inaudible], a country’s more than an economy. We’re a civic society.

Bannon’s “statistic” that over two-thirds of Silicon Valley CEOs are Asian-born isn’t even close to being true, since only a small minority are. But the bigger takeaway is that Bannon was clearly disturbed enough by this mistaken idea to bring it up. He was clearly trying to choose his words carefully, but he made it crystal clear that he was disturbed by the (fictional) idea of all these Asian-born CEOs running around in America.

Once you keep those views in mind, the method behind the “madness” of the Trump administration’s treatment of green card holders becomes clear. Most Republicans generally profess to love legal immigration. They say they are only concerned with the illegal variety (and Trump himself has said the same).

But some of the people around Trump, like Bannon, top White House policy aide Stephen Miller, and attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions, go much further. They want to privilege native-born Americans over even the most entrepreneurial and industrious (and legal) immigrants.

Missouri school fight felony

If we allow children to be charged with felonies for fighting at school, we are opening up the floodgates for hundreds of thousands more incarcerated individuals. Disproportionate numbers will continue to include: girls/women and boys/men of color.
http://allblackmedia.com/2016/12/missouri-law-makes-grade-school-fight-felony/

Let’s all just be cool.

I know it seems extremely bad, quite horrible, depression worthy and an utter catastrophe of unprecedented proportion, but…
We’ve been through worse and we will get through this. As a matter of fact this is an opportunity. An opportunity to see the depths of what we are dealing with. Now that it’s been laid bare with great anger, vitriol and malice there can be no mistaking on the depths to which the divisions in this country run.
It’s been said,

The problem is not the problem, it’s the way that you see the problem that’s the problem.

So how are we going to see this problem and better yet, what are we going to do? That’s what I implore everyone who is upset by the outcome of this incredibly long and demoralizing election, to think about what you are going to do. Think about the reasons why this happened and what you can do to stop it from happening in the future. It takes all of us to participate in this democracy in order to make it what we want it to be.

I am not happy with the outcome, but experts have said that in this election, no one was actually going to be happy because we disliked both candidates. Both candidates were weak and the lowest of the low won out because they’re stuck in a time warp and the republican candidate told them all the things they wanted to hear with full knowledge that he couldn’t deliver, nor is he actually interested in doing so.

Big Black Scholar would like to let you know that, yes it is ugly, but it will make it. So let’s all grieve, regroup and keep moving forward.

Dr. Carla Hayden to become the new Librarian of Congress

Carla Hayden

Photo from Google.com

Dr. Hayden will officially become the next librarian of Congress. Although President Obama nominated her in February, the vote was just recently passed by the Senate.

Dr. Hayden was the former head of the Public Library system in Baltimore, and also formerly served as the President of the American Library Association.  More on Dr. Hayden and her new position can be found here NPR article

Illinois, their budget and higher education

The Illinois Legislature has been locked in a budget stalemate with Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) since last summer. Rauner sought a 31.5% cut to higher education, but legislators wanted to limit the cut to 8.6%. In the meantime, schools have received no funds from the state government, nor have students who rely on state-awarded Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants.

To keep their doors open, schools are deferring maintenance, redistributing funds designated for special projects, laying off staff, cutting sports teams, and considering cutting academic programs.

This is really sad. It’s a microcosm of what’s happened in the country nationally. Two sides fighting over things that do not effect them directly, but they are personally invested in, to the point of where they cannot (or will not) compromise.

And those most ill equipped to endure this kind of high level gridlock, get nothing out of it but suffering. The people who’s lives are being stymied could care less about the ideological battle that politicians are waging, and just want to be able to go to class, tend to the work of educating students and maintaining and operating a university.

This once again shows what our leadership has devolved into, they are so wrapped up in their “anger and ideals” that they are unable to agree on the the basic premise that regardless to how they feel about work still needs to be done. And they’re not getting it done. Most of the time, one’s boss is more interested in the task being completed than anything else. With this kind of failure to carry out their duties, all these “leaders” should be replaced for people who are fit for government, because these people are not.

 

notes: eab

Reflections on Racism: PWIs and minority students Part I

Photo from the NY Times

Photo from the NY Times

It has been about a week since the  incident at Texas A&M University. As I read more about how the incident is being “handled” I wonder why there is still such a lack of proactive education and awareness on diversity and inclusion at PWIs (Predominately White Institutions)?  Like many institutions, A&M has diversity officers and a multicultural/diversity office- and like many institutions, they do well in handling situations that occur on campus and impact the campus community. But one thing that I have also seen and experienced (as a higher education professional who has worked at multiple PWIs), is a lack of campus-wide education and awareness regarding diversity and inclusion in a way that impacts more than just minority students, faculty, and staff.

Implementing initiatives to attract, recruit and admit students of color, means nothing without initiatives aimed at retaining and supporting them. And now we have reached a point where the support must include educating non-minority faculty, staff, and students about how to understand and work with them. Celebrating Hispanic Heritage month, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and having organizations for black, hispanic, international, and asian students is not enough. Especially, when members of these organizations make up most of the participants at their events, programs and educational workshops. It is great support for these students, and a celebration of their cultures. But…as I have observed, there is a lack of a white (and particularly a white-male) presence at many of the events, programs, training sessions, and workshops related to cultural competence, diversity, and inclusion.They are preaching to the choir.  Continue reading

Brown University: $100M Diversity Plan

google.com

google.com

Brown University released a statement regarding a plan they have drafted to invest $100M over the next decade in diversity efforts to address racial and ethnic injustice, and promote diversity and inclusion efforts on campus. Providence Journal

Personal Reaction: A Fear of Teaching

Photo credit- www.buzzhourly.com

Photo credit- www.buzzhourly.com

Last week my brother sent me a link to a post (Urban Edge Post) by a former Texas teacher and school administrator Kristi Rangle. In the post, “I was a teacher. I’m worried my daughter will follow in my foosteps” Rangle described how her daughter grew up watching her as an educator, and helping her at school events and decorating her classroom. She goes on to describe her daughter’s surprise at disapproval of her interest in a career in teaching. Rangle expressed,

“The state of teaching has taken some unexpected twists and turns that would make any parent concerned about it as a career choice for their child.” Like many educators, Rangle fears that if her daughter becomes a teacher, she “like many other teachers- will be scapegoated as the reason public education is failing.”

Rangle raises some interesting points including: not addressing the decline and turnover of teachers in public schools; using quality teaching as the number one excuse for student’s academic success; the heavy burdens that teachers endure; and the lack of financial support. I found this post interesting for several reasons. One, my mother is also an educator in Texas, in an urban school district. She was a public school teacher for over 20 years and is now an administrator. Continue reading