The last week of Black History Month started so well! Two black people won Oscars! But it was all downhill from there: A city council hearing aimed at discouraging the use of a racist and offensive (contextually speaking) term—what the papers call "the 'n' word"—resulted in that term being used nearly fifty times. Back on the West Coast, a San Francisco newspaper was forced to pull a column entitled "Why I Hate Blacks." One sample reason: "Contrary to media depictions, I would argue that blacks are weak-willed. They are the only race that has been enslaved for 300 years." (Full column at right, click to enlarge.) In South Africa, white folks have begun to rally around a song that extols the virtues of an Afrikaner general. In trying times like these, where can a troubled soul turn to get away, however briefly, from the tangled thicket of race and its presentations? Maybe to the culture section!



Eh, we give up.

COUNCIL GOES SLUR CRAZY OVER N-WORD [NYP]

Asian paper's 'I Hate Blacks' column assailed [SFC]

Song Wakens Injured Pride of Afrikaners [NYT]