The new "Hotter Trotter"(tm)

trotter main floor
Originally uploaded by strawmanl.

This is a picture of the Trotter House main floor. If you click the picture you will be taken to images of the new renovated Trotter House. After you check out the pictures, check out the Trotter House. It even features wireless now!
Photos and "Hotter Trotter" courtesy of Riana Anderson.

Suspect!?!

So for some time now, well since I've been at U of M, the issue of race and crime reporting comes up. In today's Daily David Betts throws his hat in the ring about what's wrong and what should be done. As you know, I personally love how almost every Black man available within 40 miles is indicted by each crime alert. But Betts tries to go a little deeper in his editorial. I appreciate the effort, but his call to action, is nothing more than a restatement of what he said he wasn't interested in doing.
He opens up with...
"I was really psyched up to write my column for this week. I was going to blast the Department of Public Safety for the vague suspect descriptions and general emphasis on making sure black people don’t act up while white members of the campus community are allowed to run relatively free."

And draws the piece to a close with...
"what we need to be doing is going to DPS and the AAPD and asking them, “What goes into a suspect description?” We need to explain to them why “baggy, hip-hop clothes” is an ineffective, racist remark. We need to ask them, “Why there is so much emphasis on having a presence at every black function?” We need to dedicate a lot of the energy spent on complaining to making sure the gentleman that was accidentally shot is OK."

I agree with Betts that there are no easy answers. I think the answer is going to lie in a multi-fold approach institutionally: (communicating and pressuring DPS and AAPD to work on the descriptions they present), socially (fighting against stereotypes of Black men), and communally (being accountable for our actions). We can't sacrifice anyone in this fight.

Hate Crimes, Black Writers, etc...

So, unless you've been under a rock, last week on campus news of an alleged hate crime made it to the inboxes of many at U of M. The incident involves two Asian-Americans and a White student. So the details are not yet clear, but there is a blog that has been created tracking what's going on with the case and responses. Check it here. Though the verdict is still out, but if nothing else, we can see how quickly the APIA community at U of M mobilized to raise awareness and raise concerns. Thought for the day, if the urinating incident had happened to a Black woman, what would have been the campus reaction?

A little birdie told me that I didn't have to pay attention to the Michigan Daily this year, except for on Wednesday's. Wednesday features some columns by Black writers, I look forward to hearing something interesting, if not, I'm gonna have to diss that little birdie ;)

Yesterday, the Trotter House officially saw it's revival. I didn't make it to the re-opening, but I would be willing to post pics of the new place if folks have them. Drop me an email at blackatmichigan@hotmail.com.

And thanks to the Michigan Daily, I don't have to worry about John Roberts and Affirmative Action. Yeah, thanks guys. I also like how they omitted how we still don't know how he stands on things like affirmative action, how quickly files go missing from the public domain... maybe they were swallowed up by Katrina or Rita. I kinda feel like we're in for a long ride!