The title of this blog is taken from the Norman Rockwell painting shown here. It's a painting of Ruby Bridges being escorted to her first grade classroom by federal marshalls because they feared for her safety as she was the only black child in her elementary school integrating into a previously all white school.

Some of us study Black history as part of Black History Month and then forget about it until the following February. Others of us, as parents of children of African descent, have internalized it and watch our children... more

"What are you?" Seems rather rude, doesn't it when aimed at a person? It is a comment heard all too often, however, by a student I met at our local university. She is half Japanese, one quarter Korean and one quarter British, and she says she hears the comment often.

I met her in an international business communications class that consisted of many foreign students, and our lecture that day was on the labels we put on different people according to their skin color or accent when they speak.

I... more