the(pro)be

There's Hope for Zimbabwe

2008-04-02T14:44:00.002-04:00

Elections are finally taking place in Zimbabwe and it looks as though the opposition has already declared victory over longtime President/Dictator Robert Mugabe. Mugabe is responsible for Zimbabwe being cut off from the World Bank and aid from every other country excluding China. He is also responsible for the 1000+ percent inflation rate that the country now faces.
Click here for New York Times report...

Think 50 Cent is Tough, Meet Hillary

2008-03-28T11:11:00.004-04:00

I want to preface this by stating that I am not at all Hillary hating. All of the candidates have their flaws, but this is just pure humor.
The video below is a snippet of the much talked about story of Hillary's visit to Bosnia as First Lady followed by one blogger's own account of what actually went down on that dangerous day in 1996.

Blogger's funny account

Which speech was he watching?

2008-03-24T10:38:00.003-04:00

Pat Buchanan, former politician and current MSNBC pundit responds to Barack Obama's "A More Perfect Union":

What is wrong with Barack’s prognosis and Barack’s cure?

Only this. It is the same old con, the same old shakedown that black hustlers have been running since the Kerner Commission blamed the riots in Harlem, Watts, Newark, Detroit and a hundred other cities on, as Nixon put it, “everybody but the rioters themselves.”

Was “white racism” really responsible for those black men looting auto dealerships and liquor stories, and burning down their own communities, as Otto Kerner said — that liberal icon until the feds put him away for bribery.

continue

Obama "Race" Speech

2008-03-21T11:57:00.003-04:00

"A More Perfect Union"
Watch the full speech Barack Obama delivered on Wednesday, March 18th in Philadelphia, addressing the state of race in America. Its a little lengthy but worth the full viewing.

Racializing Politics

2008-03-17T21:42:00.001-04:00

If you haven't been paying attention to the media coverage on the Race for the White House, then I suspect that you've been living under a rock somewhere on the planet of Mars! Even I've abandoned Youtube for the more astute and comical punditry of the crew over at MSNBC (Shoutout to Olbermann and Abrams!), but I digress. This election has been one of the craziest political rollercoaster rides and to be honest I don't think my stomach can hold on much longer.

So what gets my gag reflexes goin' the most? The always underlying and most recently overshadowing conversation around race. No, I was not shocked when Barack Obama was forced to explain his name or his origins, this is America, that type of ignorance xenophobia is expected. Nor was I agitated by the rantings and ravings of Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Johnson, etc. Nooo that didn't get my blood boiling either. It began with Geraldine Ferarro's comments and her clear inability to have a discussion about the way in which race potentially dominates the consciousness of American voters. My stomach twisted a second time when reading the NYT op-ed piece by Orlando Patterson titled The Red Phone in Black and White (can we say race card? GIN!). And just when I thought my stomach had settled, the drama of Rev. Jeremiah Wright tickles my uvula. Rev. Wright is the latest Obama supporter that the candidate has been asked to denounce, reject, renounce…basically prove that he utterly despises their existence. Though the denunciation of Wright, unlike that of Farrakhan, is not directly related to race, it has, unfortunately forced Obama to use tomorrow's speech in Philadelphia to discuss the role that race and religion has played in this election cycle.

This political race has provided the most opportune time to have an intellectually conscious discussion on race in America and I can't help but think that we're squandering the opportunity on what I can only describe as foolishness.

Race in Louisiana

2008-02-09T22:34:00.001-05:00

Today Barack Obama won the Washington state caucus, as well as Nebraska, and is positioned to win Louisiana's primary as well. Exit-poll results from the Bayou State show some very interesting statistics: According to this NY Times article, of whites "who said race was an issue in their vote, almost 9 in 10 of them voted for Mrs. Clinton, while blacks who said it was important voted 9 in 10 for Mr. Obama. The racial gap in Louisiana was more extreme than in many other states this year: 9 in 10 blacks voted for Mr. Obama, while 7 in 10 whites voted for Mrs. Clinton."

In contrast to other states where there's been divisions along the gender line (white males tended to vote for Obama, while white women cast their vote for Clinton), Louisiana saw less of a gender divide today, with race being the deciding factor. (Mrs. Clinton won most white male votes in Louisiana).

Keep checking for more election coverage- and vote if your state primary/caucus is coming up!!!

New Orleans-themed Campaigning by Obama

2008-02-09T00:48:00.000-05:00

Campaign ads are everywhere these days from the Superbowl to Super Tuesday. They usually include discussions on health care, the war, or the candidate's opponent, but the latest ad circulating American television waves includes shots of New Orleans, Katrina-style. In an attempt to win Louisiana votes, Barack Obama's latest ad features scenes of demolished New Orleans' houses post-Katrina. Read the full NYTimes posting here and see the campaign video below:

Obama in the Neighborhood

2007-12-02T20:20:00.000-05:00

In case you missed it, Barack Obama was at the Apollo Theater the other night for a fund-raiser. The proxy could not go, because tickets were quite high at $50. Check out this article for more about his campaign stop.

The Roc Rap Up: Jay-Z Ties Elvis with 10th No. 1 Album

2007-11-26T10:44:00.001-05:00

Hip-hop icon and Def Jam CEO Jay-Z has tied Elvis Presley on the U.S. album charts after his claiming his 10th number one. American Gangster, Hov's newest release, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 countdown with opening week sales of 425,000. Jay-Z penned the album after he was inspired by Frank Lucas, onetime Harlem drug king, and the film of the same title starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.

Only The Beatles have had more than Mr. Carter and Mr. Presley, with 19 number ones.

The thrilled rapper says, "I've got this Elvis thing going on right here, but what's great about that is that I've never had a number one single on any of my albums. People buy them for the body of work."

In other Roc news, Jay-Z may be one of the richest dudes in rap, but he says all the wealth and fame has not turned out the way he expected.

In a recent interview with Blender.com, the rapper -- whose estimated net worth is around a whopping $286 million -- says he expected a lot more from being as wealthy as he is.

"All I got is this big house, couple cars, I don't bring half them sh--s out... How many times can I go to Mr. Chow's?" he asked.

"In the context of the album, it was that 'Scarface' moment when Tony Montana sits in the restaurant and looks around and says, 'This is all it's about?'" Jay tells the magazine. "You get to that point where it's like, 'OK, I drove the Rolls Phantom around the corner and... nothing happened.' And you ask yourself, 'That's it? I thought blondes was gonna be jumping on my hood." [Blondes? SMH!]

Arguably "the greatest rapper alive", El Presidente Hov does admit that there are some perks to his money and renown.

"I had a $20,000 Petrus 1945 at a place called Graycliff in the Bahamas," explained Jay. "It was definitely full-bodied. Incredible. You could almost taste the barrel. It was one of those things where you say, 'Come on, how good could it be? What's the difference?' But you really could taste the difference. It was damn near like smoking weed. It was a high."

Like weed? Whoah...I've got to get me some really old wine or something.

To read the interview in its entirety, visit Blender.com.

There is a new addition to Roc-a-fella Records! After a lengthy tenure with Interscope Records, D-Block/The LOX's own Jadakiss has inked a deal with Jay-Z, and is now a ROCBOY like Kanye. AHA!

The probe extends its condolences to Kanye West and the friends and family of Dr. Donda West, who died November 10 due to complications from cosmetic surgery. Sadly, it was reported that Kanye's mother was going under the knife to look her best for Kanye's wedding to model Alexis Pfeifer. Dr. Jan Adams, (of Discovery Channel and Oprah fame) who operated on West in his clinic, located inside a Los Angeles strip mall, claims no wrongdoing and recently walked off the Larry King Live show. <>

Timbaland Impregnates Publicist Turned Fiance

2007-11-26T03:32:00.000-05:00

The title really says it all.

Congratulations to the couple on their baby girl.

Grammy-winner Beyonce to Release Country Album

2007-11-26T03:25:00.000-05:00

MTV reports:

"The bootylicious star is changing genres for her next
album, says a newspaper…
Beyonce Knowles is working an album of Country And
Western songs, according to The Sun.
The former Destiny’s Child frontwoman
is apparently changing her style after performing a country version of her hit
Irreplaceable at the recent American Music Awards.
Helping B with the
transformation is songwriter Amanda Ghost who is behind James Blunt’s enormous
hit You’re Beautiful and the Shakira/ Beyonce smash Beautiful Liar.
We look forward to hearing the results of Knowles’ Country sessions …"

Uhh...Beyonce. Say this with us: overexposure can kill you.

Let's pray Tina Knowles doesn't design anything with leather tassles...
This just in: too late.

Armed with a hairbrush and potentially dangerous--the aftermath of a Brooklyn teen's death by police

2007-11-18T23:21:00.000-05:00

Apparently, even hair supplies qualify as a good reason for gunfire.

The New York City Police Department is fighting claims that they are trying to cover up what really happened in a Brooklyn killing last week, in which police fatally shot a mentally ill teenager under the assumption that he had a gun. It later turned out to be a hairbrush.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly continues to stand by his stance that the police were justified in the shooting. He later released tapes of the conversation between the teen's mother and police officials, to back up his earlier statements that the mother told the police he had a gun.

"What [Police Commissioner Kelly] is engaged in is a public campaign of misdirection and misinformation and because of that misdirection, because of that misinformation, Police Commissioner Kelly is actively engaged in a cover up," said Marq Claxton of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement.
In an interview with NY1 Friday night, the mother of the teen, Denise Owens, confesses that she is still trying to comprehend how her 911 call could have gone so awry.

"I just want answers to actually what went wrong," said Denise Owens.

What is Torture?

2007-11-18T20:59:00.000-05:00

Amnesty International is holding an open discussion on torture. It's at 8 PM, this Monday, at Earl Hall.

Garcia and Rodriguez in the Top Ten

2007-11-18T12:28:00.000-05:00

Two Hispanic last names, Garcia and Rodriguez, now fall under the top 10 most popular American surnames. Smith is still number one, but it has fallen increasingly over the years while names like Martinez and Hernandez have risen significantly, reflecting the change in our country's demographics. People no longer 'Anglicize' their names like they used to at Ellis Island. Check the rest out for yourself here.

SGA releases statement regarding Hunger Strike

2007-11-14T13:28:00.000-05:00

Barnard SGA released their official statement on the hunger strike this morning.

In light of the strike currently going on at Columbia, the SGA writes today to inform students that the SGA is committed to addressing issues of ethnic diversity, curricular shortcomings, and necessary institutional reform on our campus. These goals have been part of SGA's 2007-2008 agenda since the beginning of the semester. To address these issues, the SGA held a Town Hall on this subject in October, attended by Barnard College and Columbia University students, faculty, and administrators. All present expressed and stressed the need for additional steps to be taken to ensure that all Barnard students graduate having had the opportunity to intellectually engage with these issues. The SGA is thus committed to reviewing and assessing necessary curricular changes. Additionally, the SGA is calling for an Ethnic Studies major at Barnard, and the provisions to be set up for the eventual creation of a center.

The SGA also recognizes that the demands being made of the Columbia administration affect Barnard students. The SGA acknowledges that many members of the Barnard community, students, faculty and departments, have been active in the strike and in response to the strike, both voicing support and dissent. Although the strike is addressed specifically to the Columbia University administration, the SGA supports the call for changes that will improve the academic opportunities and quality of education that Barnard students receive. Moreover, the SGA officially calls for various curricular and institutional changes at Barnard College that are in a similar vein. The SGA expresses its support for the following:

1.The SGA calls for the Committee on Instruction to move forward on the creation of an Ethnic Studies major. Towards this end, the SGA would like to see a thriving, well-funded and administered Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race (CSER) at Columbia that can support an influx of Barnard majors. In the long term, the SGA supports the creation of a center at Barnard dedicated to the study of racial and ethnic power dynamics, similar to the Barnard Center for Research on Women.

2. The SGA calls for the incorporation of discussion of racial and ethnic formation into the 9 Ways of Knowing. For the short term, the SGA plans to facilitate the creation of a more diverse First-Year English reading list. In the long term, the SGA supports the Committee on Instruction in reviewing how to better incorporate these issues into the 9 Ways of Knowing, particularly looking at the Social Analysis, Cultures in Comparison, and Reason and Value requirements.

3. The SGA calls for the appointment of a Provost for Diversity. Many of our sister schools, as well as many Ivy League universities, have such an office. A Provost for Diversity will work closely with the deans and the President of the College to ensure fair hiring, tenure, and curricular practices.

4. The SGA calls for better communication between the Office for Multicultural Affairs at Barnard and the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Columbia.

The SGA continually seeks student input, concerns and support on all of these initiatives and hopes that Barnard students feel empowered to work with the SGA. While institutional reform does take time, student voices are heard and ideas are supported by the administration through the SGA. The above mentioned goals are also part of discussions being held by Barnard faculty and administrators. The SGA does recognize the need for immediate and tangible examples of progress. From the SGA student representatives on the Committee on Instruction to all of the participants at our Town Hall, Barnard students have been actively engaged with this debate all semester. Please be encouraged to join your fellow students in these discussions by contacting sga@barnard.edu or by attending our weekly Representative Council meetings, held every Monday at 7:45pm in the North Tower.

Islam in African American Life: This Monday at 8pm

2007-11-11T11:48:00.000-05:00

DINNER, ISLAMIC AFRICAN NASHEEDS AND A LECTURE BY IMAM SIRAJ WAHAJ

Event's details:
What: Dinner, nasheeds and a lecture.
Who: Imam Siraj Wahaj and Nasir Al-Amin
When: 8:00pm, Monday, November 12th
Where: 117th and Broadway, Earl Hall Auditorium, Columbia University

Islam in African American Life: Journey of Compassion and Tolerance.

The MSA is honored to host an event on Islam in Africa, featuring *Imam Siraj
Wahaj*, the Imam of Al-taqwa mosque in NYC. The lecture will cover many aspects of Islam
in African American culture and how it has influenced people's life in America.

CHICKEN AND RICE WILL BE SERVED WHILE ENJOYING THE NASHEEDS

*To learn more about Imam Siraj Wahaj, please visit his website at
http://www.imamsirajwahhaj.com/

Darfur Now

2007-11-11T11:32:00.000-05:00

There is a new documentary on Darfur, Sudan. See the trailer on Apple's website.

Obama on SNL as himself

2007-11-05T09:27:00.000-05:00

In case you missed it, Barack Obama had a very brief appearance on SNL this Saturday in the intro skit. The skit was a Halloween party held by the Clintons, with Hillary in a bride costume, as well as all the other presidential candidates in costume. One guest came with an Obama mask, and when he took it off, he revealed the real Barack, with the audience going pretty wild. He said "I have nothing to hide, I enjoy being myself. I'm not going to change who I am just because it's Halloween." To watch the video, see below:

The Mascot Debate

2007-10-29T23:43:00.000-04:00

Warren Wimmer/WireImage

Chief Illiniwek, the recently banned mascot of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was allowed back for their homecoming celebrations this weekend in what the university described as in accordance with their belief of free speech. Their chancellor described the use of the mascot as a representation of personal expression, yet this mascot has an obvious connection to the university's collective history. During the 1960's, many athletic programs on campuses across the country began erasing American Indian nicknames and by the turn of this century, only a minority remained. For the rest of the article, click here.

It is unfortunate that the University of Illinois reversed the ban in the name of "free speech" despite the racist origins of the mascot, and the fact that it represents the entire university, not simply the students who choose to use it in the homecoming celebrations. One can't really be surprised by this move, when just this month one of the teams playing in the American League Division Series was the Cleveland Indians. It's easy to ignore the problem of such mascots when we have become so desensitized that we hardly realize their existence. We can only hope that more people will wake up.

The (pro)be meets the bwog

2007-10-28T13:27:00.000-04:00

Our friends at the bwog posted about us yesterday. To see the full article, click here.

Kat Williams Rocks Noose on the Red Carpet and Most Cry, "Fashion DON'T!"

2007-10-27T17:40:00.000-04:00

Katt Williams, the pint-sized comedian, rapper, and actor of "Wild 'N' Out" fame wore a noose on the red carpet for the 2007 BET Hip-Hop Awards. Some people consider it an ignorant, socially irresponsible move; others a social commentary; others try to understand his intentions, but find his attempt to keep dialogue about recent hate crimes alive misguided. Perhaps most upsetting is that he chose to wear a noose the same day he chose to wear that jacked up dark pink suit and hair badly in need of a wash, set, and blowdry.

Williams is also"Harlem World Diplomat" and member of the Dipset Family (The Diplomats).

Horrified? Like his ensemble? Share your thoughts....

Blackface Commemorated?

2007-10-27T17:30:00.000-04:00

http://www.eonline.com/ reports that:

"Warner Home Video is commemorating the movie's—and the genre's—80th birthday with a new, deluxe three-disc Jazz Singer DVD. If you're not up for 265
minutes of Al Jolson, blackface or Al Jolson acting like a hammy ham while
smeared in blackface* then we suggest you celebrate cinema's sound era by
visiting (or revisiting) some of the finer examples of spoken dialogue.
Our ears recommend Casablanca, All About Eve, Annie Hall, Chasing Amy and just about anything written by Billy Wilder."

Hollywood's first feature-length "talkie", Jazz Singer, stars Jewish actor Al Jolson.

I personally recommend anything starring Denzel Washington or Al Pacino...actually, anything preferably not starring actors smeared in blackface.

First Chipotle now....

2007-10-23T22:56:00.000-04:00

That's right- no longer do you have to watch the goodies of Pinkberry through your TV screen of Lauren and her 'friends' scarfing it down on The Hills. Today Pinkberry opened. There is a lot to be said for hype- and frozen yogurt apparently. Check out the lines from this evening.

Barnard SGA Townhall

2007-10-23T22:43:00.001-04:00

Tonight's SGA Townhall in the James Room at Barnard was supposed to address the question: Is our community broken? While there was a lot of eating going on, several good points were brought up including:
-Having a large-scale reaction to the recent bias events similar to the Take Back the Night tradition
- Rather than bringing our community together, the recent events have been decisive; people have retreated to their 'cliques' and comfort zones
-Professors should address issues like what happened at SIPA and TC in classes, we should be allowed to discuss it in class
-Further elaborating on the classroom, our communities are in the classroom- when our assignments and our tests have nothing to do with the real-life events that are affecting us, that is where we get the disparity
-Check out G.S.'s "World Wall" coming to Low Plaza this week. It was inspired by Barnard's wall and comments and frustrations are welcome.
-After the event was over, there were many echoes throughout the room about having the next Townhall be focused on the curriculum at both Barnard and Columbia, and how reforming it can help address some of these issues

Solidarity at Sunday's MSA Eid Dinner

2007-10-22T01:09:00.000-04:00

This Sunday evening at Lerner Hall, student groups united over the MSA Eid al-Fitr Dinner, in anticipation of this week's National Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week. Student organizations from across the board presented statements of solidarity and support, as well as condemnation.

UPDATE: Here is the list of groups that participated:
United Students of Color Council
Students Promoting Empowerment and Knowledge (SPEaK)
Columbia Queer Alliance
Native American Council
Student Organization of Latinos
Student Coalition of Expansion and Gentrification
Columbia Students for a Democratic Society
LUCHA
Organization of Pakistani Students
Liga Filipina
International Socialist Organization
Hillel
Hindu Students Organization
African Students Association
CU College Democrats
Club Zamana
Club Bangla
Chicano Caucus
Black Students Organization
Bahai'i
Columbia College Student Council
Asian American Alliance
Turath
Progressive Jewish Alliance
Society for International Undergraduates
CU American Civil Liberties Union
CU Amnesty International
Turkish Students Association
Vietnamese Students Association
Haitian Students Association
Barnard Student Government Association
Black Organization of Soul Sisters
Eurasia Initiative

Strike Three Against the Fashion World--Griot on a Midnight Rant

2007-10-17T01:46:00.000-04:00

This is the first posting from yours truly, my friends. Feel free to rant with or against me, as I choose to ramble however I please.

We all know about the fashion world's selectivity in selecting models. Models have to be of a certain weight, height, shape, blah-blah de blah-blah-blah. You could probably pick an argument with the fashion world for discriminating against left-handed people and still have a case.

At a panel-led discussion at the New York Public Library on Monday evening Ms. Bethann Hardison, former model and agency owner decried the fashion magazines such as Glamour and Vogue for lack of racial representation. As reported in the October 16 issues of the Metro Newspaper, Hardison denounced such forms of popular media for neglecting to consider such an important issues in selecting models for their ad, reminding her audience of a time when diversity was a high priority.

Big names such as Iman, Beverly Smith, and fashion designer Tracy Reese attended the sold-out event.

By the way, Hardison, who began her career as a model in 1969, has become known for constantly challenging ideas of fashion and beauty. She has since produced many fashion shows, fostered the creation of Bethann Management Co., Inc., a talent-managing agency, and managed public relations.

Hardison definitely has a point. But what makes me wonder is, how much is this fight worth fighting? Before you start throwing tomatoes, here me out. Magazines cater to an audience. I think we can all agree that the majority of Vogue's readers are likely Caucasian. I'm not sure how pleased a little white girl would be if she opened a Vogue Mag to see a black chick wearing a hot outfit. As a white person, it might be a little subconsciously unsettling to actually see black people dressing better than you.

Some people just make up their minds that there is no place for them in the white world. That's what Essence Magazine is for. I can't tell you how happy I get when I see black women in that magazine, page after page after page.

On the other hand, you may be of the opinion that the fashion world is the fashion world, and that any white person who chooses to let race get in the way of such a form of aesthetic beauty is either, apart for being racist, visually impaired or sartorially challenged. After all, certain textures of clothes do look better on darker tones.

It makes you think, as a black person, on what basis do you define your world? And on your basis, do you choose to fight against discrimination within the system or for visibility outside of it?

--Le griot ésotérique

Proxy Exclusive- Obama Joins Black Planet

2007-10-14T23:50:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the new era of presidential campaigns in America. No previous generation has seen anything like this, and even the 2004 campaign was not this accessible and wired. From the YouTube presidential debates to (legitimate) facebook profiles, the 2008 presidential candidates have taken the campaigning process to a new level. The proxy has an advanced copy of a PR release going out tomorrow, Monday October 15th, about the official announcement of Barack Obama's member profile on Black Planet, the largest African-American social networking community, as well as four other significant online networking communities. Obama's Black Planet profile is very youth-friendly with YouTube links, friends lists, personal stats, and photos, similar to MySpace pages and facebook profiles.

In one day, Obama managed to get more member friends on his Black Planet account than he did in one month on facebook. The power of online networking is limitless with one Black Planet member writing,

“I don't normally vote, but if it will help put you [Obama] in office, I will start. I think you [Obama] are one of the most qualified candidates in the running and it's not just because you are black, it's because you stand up for what is right and would make a great leader of this country.”

With still a year to go before the presidential elections, we are in for a campaign of the future and who knows what's next.

Decisions, Decisions: Demographics and the Political Race

2007-10-13T16:23:00.000-04:00

This New York Times article explores the discourse among African-American women in the Carolinas on two of the leading democratic candidates: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It's interesting how much of the reason why people like (and know about) Hillary comes from her husband. People quoted in this article note their concern for voting for Obama, simply for his safety reasons. Problematic? I think yes. Read for yourself and VOTE.

Genocide??!! Not Here of Course!

2007-10-11T12:39:00.000-04:00

Oh U.S. foreign policy, how you slay me.

Members of the U.S. congressional House Foreign Affairs Committee decided in a "non-binding" 21 to 27 vote to label the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks post 1915 as genocide.

Bush, however is hoping the House of Representatives will be a little more lenient in the usage of such terms because of the fear that Turkey will pull out of the "war on terror".

I mean, I'm sure the White House would be okay with it after we eliminate terror everywhere.

Or at least abroad...I mean, bad things only happen abroad, and when I say abroad clearly I mean outside of the U.S. and what we declare as Europe.

I mean slavery, forced sterilization of women of color, and the active elimination of Native Americans isn't genocide per se, just house cleaning, right Mr. President?

DNA Testing For Immigrants?!!!! Can France Get Any Worse?

2007-10-11T12:20:00.000-04:00

Immigration Museum in Paris Exposition Repères. Photo. : Awatef Chengal

Just yesterday, a new museum on immigration opened in France, coming at a time when there is a debate circulating over a new amendment to the immigration bill that proposes: "the use of genetic testing to verify the bloodlines of would-be immigrants who want to join family members already living in France."

If you can't believe this, read the article from the NY Times.

And by the way, Mr. Sarkozy did not attend the inauguration of the musuem, which documents the centuries of immigration to France, from Europe, its former African colonies, and Southeast Asia, in addition to covering current xenophobia and racism in France. Mr. Sarkozy, the son of an immigrant himself, did have time, however, to attend the inauguration of an architectural museum last month delivering a speech about the importance of architecture in France. Yes Mr. Sarkozy, I think architecture is a very important topic in France, maybe more than immigration- WOW.

Before you read the entire article, check out the Immigration Museum's website- if you can understand French.

http://www.histoire-immigration.fr/index.php?lg=fr&nav=1&flash=0

For those of you interested and going to Paris anytime soon, the museum's address is: Palais de la Porte Dorée. 293, avenue Daumesnil - 75012 Paris
Métro Porte Dorée / Bus 46 et PC2

Grupo Quisqueyano: The Art of New York

2007-10-11T11:13:00.000-04:00

Grupo Quisqueyano, in conjunction with various other Columbia University student organizations and the Center for the Study of Ethnicity & Race (known lovingly as CSER), will be hosting an event exploring the arts throughout the decades in the Latino community of New York City.

The event will be opened by a remarks from Councilwoman Rosie Mendez and will feature a talk by a former member of the Young Lords, performances, poetry, and work from various artists.

Another highlight will be a special screening of the documentary "From Mambo to Hip Hop" with commentary from the actual directors and producers of the film. 70 guest JHS students from the Bronx will also be in attendance.

How will all of this be scrunched into 2 measly hours you ask? You have to be there to find out, as this is definitely not something you want to miss.

Location: Lerner Party Space, Lerner Hall
Date: Friday, October 12 El DÃa de la Raza
Time: 12-2 pm

From Mambo to Hip Hop Trailer

No Justice! No Peace!

2007-10-10T22:22:00.001-04:00

A rally was held in response to the yesterday's act of racism in front of the main gates of Teacher's College this afternoon at 2 pm. Students, administrators and people from outside the Columbia community came to show solidarity and support the protest against ignorance and racism on Columbia's campus.

Arab-Andalusian Music of Algeria Concert

2007-10-10T21:54:00.000-04:00

If you have the chance, check out this opportunity to hear the rich musical tradition of North Africa, which has been influenced by many cultures including Andalucian Spain. This Friday at 8pm, World Music Institute is hosting Nassima at Symphony Space.

Arab-Andalusian Music of Algeria

Nassima

Friday, October 12, 2007 8 pm

Peter Norton Symphony Space
Broadway at 95th St
New York

Nassima, an exquisite vocalist and fervent ambassador of the Andalusian music of Algeria, is noted for her renditions of the san’a tradition and her role in preserving this ancient genre, which traditionally was associated with males. In addition to san’a, her repertoire includes the popular Algerian chaabi and Sufi music from the Maghreb . Nassima, who will accompany herself on mandola (lute), will be joined by musicians on ‘ud (lute), qanun (zither), violin, and percussion, and guest dancer Amel Tafsout.

Tickets $32
WMI Friends $27
Students $15

The African Diaspora in New York

2007-10-10T21:48:00.001-04:00

Mark this event on your calendars:

Tuesday
10/16/07
5pm – 8pm
Location: MEI (Middle East Institute, Columbia University)

“These women who wear trousers”:

Senegalese Women Immigrants in New York City

Awa Ba
Doctoral Candidate, Uppsala University Sweden

Pissed much?

2007-10-10T01:18:00.001-04:00

A flyer found in the Barnard Quad:

*person's face is not covered in the actual flyer.

This guy must have pissed off the wrong girl.

Islamo-Facism Week

2007-10-10T00:39:00.000-04:00

David Horowitz, who attended Columbia in the 50s, is returning to speak during Islamo-Facism Week, a part of the Terrorism Awareness Project. Apparently the week's purpose is to:

to confront the two Big Lies of the political left: that George Bush created the war on terror and that Global Warming is a greater danger to Americans than the terrorist threat.

The project claims that in fact the true enemy is :

a fanatical religious movement associated with the Muslim Brotherhood and the sponsors of the Muslim Student Association; it is a movement including al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades -- whose common goal is the creation of a global Muslim empire ruled by an Islamic “pope” or caliphate, to be based in Iraq, once America is defeated...

The national Muslim Students Association (MSA), has responded with a "Peace...not Prejudice" campaign that is much more worth spending time on.

However, Horowitz , the author of "Ten Reasons Why Reparations for Blacks is a Bad Idea for Blacks - and Racist Too" and The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America, is coming to lecture...do you think Prez-Bo is going to use a 15 minute introduction to question his ability of having "the intellectual courage" to answer our questions?

Town Hall Meeting

2007-10-10T00:35:00.000-04:00

An emergency meeting was held Tuesday October 9th at 9pm in Earl Hall to discuss recent events involving the hate crime at Teacher's College.

2 students from Teacher's College discuss ways of getting involved and showing support.

Students express their sentiments after the meeting.

If you would like to get involved, TC students as well as students from all Columbia University schools will be meeting at 2 pm at the main gates of Teacher's College to protest.

Discussions will be held at the cafeteria at Teacher's College from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. At the same time, President Susan Fuhrman and Provost Tom James will be joining students in a community meeting about the topic in 179 Grace Dodge.

Raise your voice to help improve our campus!

Noose Hung on Professor's Door

2007-10-10T00:24:00.000-04:00

This morning a noose was found on the door of an African American professor's door at Teacher's College.

Here is the announcement from the president of Teacher's College.

From: Fuhrman, Susan
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 3:35 PM
To: TC Community
Subject: Community Alert

To the TC Community:

The police were here this morning because a hangman's noose was discovered on the office door of one of our African American faculty members. The incident has been reported to the New York City Police Department (Detectives Bureau of Manhattan) and is under active investigation by the Hate Crimes Task Force.

The TC community and I deplore this hateful act, which violates every Teachers College and societal norm.

Anyone who has any information about this incident is urged to immediately contact (anonymously or otherwise) any of the following:

The 26th Precinct Detective Squad (212 678-1351);

Crime stoppers (1 800 577-TIPS);

John DeAngelis, Chief of Public Safety (212 678-4180);

Janice Robinson, TC General Counsel and Executive Director,
President's Office of Diversity and Community (212 678-3732).

Decolonization Day

2007-10-09T12:07:00.001-04:00

10/8/07-

ATTENTION BLOGGERS

2007-10-07T20:58:00.000-04:00

If you are interesting in blogging look no further. the proxy magazine (Barnard's magazine about the African diaspora) is looking for staff bloggers and reporters as well as guest bloggers to join the (pro)be- our new blog. Our blog will feature everything from campus events like the World Leaders Forum to restaurant reviews and information on Manhattanville Expansion. Find out more at http://www.theproxyproject.org or http://theproxyprobe.blogspot.com

Or email us at theproxyproject@gmail.com