Black Museums Fight for Funding

In response to question about race, president checks one box

(NEWSER) - When he filled out his census form yesterday, President Obama identified himself as African-American. The son of a black Kenyan and a white Kansan, Obama had the option to check more than one box. He didn't hesitate before choosing "Black, African Am., or Negro," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs tells USA Today . The first family's form also reflected the fact that Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, lives with the Obamas in the White House, notes the AP . More»

African-Americans remain less employed, more often imprisoned than whites

(NEWSER) - Though a black family occupies the White House, inequality between African-Americans and whites persists in the US, a study by the Urban League says. Blacks are twice as likely to be jobless, three times more likely to be poor, six times more likely to have spent time in prison. A composite “equality index” puts the socio-economic status of blacks at 71% of whites, CNN reports. More»

(NEWSER) - A Chicago family is trying to use its household spending to invest in the black community by buying exclusively from black-owned businesses for 1 year, the Tribune reports. The Andersons’ ambitious “Ebony Experiment” has them driving 14 miles for groceries (and farther for other stuff) and has earned hate mail accusing them of racism—but they say it’s worth the costs. More»

Experts fear success could close discussion

(NEWSER) - Despite being a landmark in black American history, Barack Obama’s pending nomination could stall civil rights progress, some blacks say, because his success could fuel an argument that racial divisions have been healed, the New York Times reports. The danger is “that we declare victory,” a sociologist said. “Historic as this moment is, it does not signify a major victory in the ongoing battle.” More»

Documentary traces one couple's story through New Orleans disaster

(NEWSER) - Trouble the Water, a new documentary, is ostensibly about Hurricane Katrina, centered around home-video footage shot during the disaster by a resident of New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. But the film, which frames Kimberly Roberts’ footage within a larger context, transcends that one event to put forth a peerless discussion of race in America, Andrew O’Hehir writes in Salon. More»