Iserotope Extras - Issue #5

Every year, thousands of innocent people are sent to jail only because they can’t afford to post bail, putting them at risk of losing their jobs, custody of their children — even their lives.

This year, white people are telling other white people that maybe it’s time to stop explaining away racism and start listening more. This piece by Tim Wise, author of White Like Me, is a few months old but still very timely. Mr. Wise writes, “Most white Americans are like that friend you have, or perhaps relative, who never went to medical school, but went to Google this morning and now feels certain he or she is perfectly qualified to diagnose your every pain and discomfort.”

My good friend Tony Johnston, who is a professor of education at the University of St. Joseph, offers white people five specific and powerful strategies to challenge white guilt, mitigate white privilege, and dismantle white supremacy. His piece has been viewed nearly 2,000 times on my blog and has been shared more than 400 times on Facebook.

Last week’s This American Life episode elicited very strong reactions. Former colleague and current friend Brandon reminded me that what’s happening outside St. Louis is also happening here in San Francisco, albeit perhaps in a more politically correct way. (There are seven articles and resources here to check out.)

Every school I’ve worked in has required students, in order to graduate, to defend a portfolio of work that demonstrates core competencies. This article explains the rationale behind portfolio defenses — as well as their benefits and limitations.