Jokes can be dangerous things

I recommend to new teachers that jokes are very tricky things in a classroom and should be used with caution. Jokes based on stereotypes of race and ethnicity and nationality are especially problematic to pull off without causing offense and should be avoided in the classroom, especially if the stereotype is a negative one. One informal rule is that in other settings, one can often get away with telling such jokes against one’s own group but not against that of other groups.
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Bill Clinton’s missteps on encountering Black Lives Matter protestors

At a recent event in support of his wife’s campaign, Bill Clinton was confronted by Black Lives Matter protestors about how hard his 1994 crime bill affected the black community by putting so many in jail. Kevin Alexander Gray looks at how the myth arose that Clinton was a good friend to the black community and says that the reality is quite different.
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The real drama may take place before the convention

There has been much speculation about a possible contested Republican convention in July if Donald Trump does not arrive there with the 1,237 pledged delegates he needs to give him a majority on the first ballot. It is clear that the main effort right now in the Republican party and even in the mainstream media establishment is to try and prevent that from happening. We have seen an astonishing coordinated attack by the party and media establishments to coalesce against him and now a group of billionaires has joined in the effort. The Stop Trump alliance seems to be increasingly confident that they will be successful though whether this is largely wishful thinking is unclear.
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Film review: The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (2015)

This is an excellent documentary that deals with a complicated and troubled period in American history and the role in it of an organization that is still shrouded in controversy. The documentary covers the six-year period from 1967 to 1973 that saw the rise and fall of the original Black Panthers. It uses archival footage, mixed with current interviews of former members who look back on those events and provide perspective.
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Sanders and ‘Clinton’ make pitches for New York votes

Bernie Sanders had difficult moment yesterday at the end of a town hall event at the landmark Apollo Theater in Harlem, when a questioner raised some ugly stereotypes about Jews. I thought Sanders handled it as best as he could by addressing the Israel-Palestinian question. The crowd became pretty raucous, largely in support of Sanders and against the questioner. You can see Harry Belafonte sitting on the stage.
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