Abolition of the N Word in A Southeast TX Community

The Houston Chronicle is reporting that Brazoria, the county seat of Brazoria County, is working on outlawing the "N-Word". The law is not on the books yet, but they mayor is going to hold a few public sessions about this law and try to get a consensus of what the public thinks of this proposed law. If they agree with it, he will take it to the city council and if they agree with it, then they will pass the law.

It will not prevent you from saying the word, but makes it a criminal offense if the word is used in a derogatory way. The fine will be around $500.

When asked why he wanted to implement this new law, the mayor said :

Corley said he got the idea while watching two black ministers talking on television about how offensive that word is. "I just think it would be great if this little town of Brazoria, with 2,800 people, leads the way in fighting against this offensive language," said Corley. "It's not a particular problem in Brazoria," Corley said, "but it's a national problem."

There are questions about the legality of this new law. Usage of the word is protected by the First Amendment and the law maybe over turned if it is ever questioned.

I think that this is a good idea. There is no need for ANYONE to use that word, Black or not. There is so much history with that word and all of it leads to many years of oppression. If the true connotations of the word were understood by all, I think that some would think twice about using it. There are other ways that we can address each other.

What do you think? Would this be a good law to have on the books? Post a comment below....

Do You live in a foreign country? They Do!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Work has been crazy busy and I have not really had much time to do anything but my actual work... weird huh?

I do want to share 2 blogs that I have been reading lately.. They are pretty cool. They are written by Americans living in Africa. One is a Peace Corps volunteer and the other one is a former Peace Corps volunteer working for a non-profit organization.

It is interesting to read about their lives in these foreign countries and about how things are much different in their respective countries : Togo and Angola.

They are good things to read if you have been or are interested in the Peace Corps or living in a foreign country, which both of these are things that I have contemplated..

So here are the websites as promised:
Aaron in Africa (Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo)
and
Back in One Piece (Non-Profit)

More Fry Street Evictions

This is from the Save Fry Street Organization....

"Yesterday, members of SFS confirmed with business owners on Fry Street that yes, they have received eviction notices. The Tomatoe, Bagheri’s, and other businesses have been given until Jan. 31 to vacate their homes.

While we understand that even with renovation, this would be part of the process, we wish the tenants had been given more notice. We are sad to see such great businesses leave and hope that no matter what the outcome, they can and will come back to Fry Street.

Also, this is not over. We are still planning to meet with the developers again to discuss options. The developers still need variances to make plans and changes. We still have input so do not give up on Fry Street."

(More updates to come…)
SFS - Save Fry Street

Happy 150 City of Denton!!

This year, the City of Denton is celebrating its 150th Birthday! The City is celebrating by hosting exhibits, workshops and lectures that pertain to the City of Denton. This month, there will be talks about how the city was created, what life was like during the frontier days in Denton, and how the 1st Methodist church has affected the City.

A kick off celebration was held tonight at the Emily Fowler Central Library to get it all started. The next will be a lecture presented by Nita Thurman called "Going, Going, Gone! The Auction that Created Denton." It is Tuesday, Jan. 9th at 7pm at the Emily Fowler Library. I am excited to go listen to this (hopefully I will be off work in time...)

To find out about all of the events, go to www.denton150.com and click on Calendar. There are also pictures and videos about Denton and also some cool facts and timelines.

An interesting fact about Denton is that back in the late 1800's, there was a small community that is where the Civic Center resides today that was called Quakertown. It was named for the Quakers who helped the freedmen in the early years of the Reconstruction. In 1922, the City of Denton bought out the land and annexed it into the city limits and turned it into a park and later a Civic Center, as it is today. (Some information from Texas State Handbook Online)

A New Year, A New Semester

Well all of the tests have been taken, gifts unwrapped, and champagne has been consumed. We are now in the newest year of the Millennium and it is definitely different. The new semester is about to start and I will be a Grad Student. It is so weird to think about it. I have to keep reminding myself that I have graduated and that I am an Alumnus. Maybe it is because I am I will still be at UNT taking classes and working just like I have been for the past 3.5 years. It is crazy...

I am kinda excited about the new semester because I will only be taking 2 classes and one of them will be my very first education class. I have not taken one before, so it will be interesting to see how it works out. I will also be continuing my African American history class. I am excited for that because it is modern history and I really enjoy that period. It will also be a little hard because it will be for Grad credit, which means doing more work that the rest of the class. I still have to meet up with my professor and see what I will have to do. I am thinking of suggesting an additional paper. Maybe writing about Barbara Jordan, Jim Crow effects in Texas or desegregation in Texas. If you have any cool ideas, let me know!!!