Rep. Allen West: Today's Harriet Tubman?

From the "I'm here to save you" file: Representative Allen West, R.-Fla., has presented his view and critique of the Democratic Party "plantation" and claims that he is the "modern-day Harriett Tubman." But no worries, he's here to lead "us" . . . somewhere. His brother Arlan, who attended a job fair in Atlanta last week organized by the Congressional Black Caucus, says "that kind of conversation and that kind of dialogue is not productive."

Senator Coburn Said What?

The Tulsa World reports that Senator Tom Coburn told a crowd in Langley, Oklahoma that President Obama does not intend to destroy the United States, "his intent is to create dependency because it worked so well for him." "As an African-American male" Obama received "tremendous advantage from a lot of these programs." I'm not going to even attempt to unpack that, it is what it is and says what it says.

Accidental Shootings Of Black People, Family Dogs

From Elie Mystal's Above the Law posting: "I just don't like living in a world where shooting my dog is a bigger liability risk for a police officer than shooting me."

Nivea's Controversial Ad

Can't make it up.

White Voters And The Republican Party

From the Pew Research Center: In 2008 the Republican Party held a 46-44 percent edge among white voters. The edge today: 52-39.

Steve Harvey On Tavis Smiley And Cornel West

Watch this.

Another Workplace Noose Incident

A nurse employed at Ben Taub General Hospital in Houston, who happens to be black, found a noose hanging over her desk in the hospital's emergency department. The noose was reportedly placed there by a white male. Concluding that there was no "malicious or threatening intent" motivating "this serious incident," the hospital district is developing a diversity program.

Video Of White Teens Killing Black Man

From CNN.

Governor Perry's College Transcript

Check out this story.

"Your Boy"

Pat Buchanan (still an MSNBC commentator!!) referred to President Obama as "your boy" during an on-air discussion with Al Sharpton on MSNBC. The next day Buchanan said, "Some folks took what I said as some kind of slur. None was meant, none was intended, none was delivered." Oh. OK.

White Supremacist Principal Fired By Catholic School

Here's the story.

Emmett Till And The Money, Mississippi Gas Station

The gas station at which Emmett Till allegedly whistled at a white woman is being restored by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. The woman's husband and his hal-brother murdered and mutilated the 14-year-old from Chicago.

"Tar Baby"

Representative Doug Lamborn, R.-Colo., said on a radio show that association with President Obama's policies would be like "touching a tar baby." He later apologized.

Time magazine discussed "tar baby" and its various uses in a 2006 article noting then Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's use of the term.

The "Half-black, Half-Hispanic" Spiderman

Meet the new Spiderman: Miles Morales. Peter Parker was killed in Marvel Comics' June issue.

On Media And Stereotypes

WBBM-TV, the CBS television affiliate in Chicago, broadcast an interview with a four-year-old boy (that alone is problematic) as part of a story on the shootings of teenagers in the city. Asked "What are you going to do when you get older?" the young boy responded "I'm going to have me a gun!"

The following was edited out of and not included in the broadcast piece: After saying "I'm going to have me a gun!" the reporter stated "You are! Why do you want to do that?" The boy's answer: "I'm going to be the police!"

Shameful.

"Obama And His Discontents"

Ta-Nehisi Coates shares his views.

"The Biggest Lie About Race? That It's Real"

The Root interviews law professor Dorothy Roberts, author of Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century.

Criminal Background Checks Of Applicants

Last month the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission held a meeting to discuss employer use of criminal background checks and the impact of that practice on African-American applicants. The EEOC's guidelines currently provide that this practice has an adverse impact on black and Latino applicants, and that an employment decision based on an applicant's conviction record is impermissible absent business necessity.