Podcast Olivia Morales teaches social studies in New Orleans and is the co-founder of Teacher Beasts, which promotes exercise and wellness among educators. On the show, Olivia and I talk about the educational landscape in New Orleans, particularly its emphasis on high-stakes testing and charter schools. We also chat about “The Nationalist Delusion,” which appeared last week in the newsletter. Please listen and enjoy! http://j.mp/2x8G8PC
#120: Walking While Black
Happy Thanksgiving, loyal subscribers! Welcome to The Highlighter #120 and to the holiday season. Thank you very much for your readership. This week, I’ve chosen articles about discriminatory policing, deluded white voters, the depths of loneliness, and detecting Alzheimer’s Disease. Please enjoy!
New Subscriber Contest Update: Another 13 people joined this week, thanks to your word of mouth! There was a 3-way tie for this week’s winner: Kiera, Erik, and Abby P. Congratulations! We have just two weeks left, so get out there and encourage your friends, colleagues, and family to subscribe to The Highlighter. We can reach our goal of 100 new subscribers before Dec. 7!
Highlighter Happy Hour #3 will be at Dalva in San Francisco on Thursday, Dec. 7, beginning at 5:30 pm. Come meet other curious, caring close readers and chat about the articles! Check out the Events page for more info and how you can get your ticket.
Walking While Black — features.propublica.org
A few years ago, Jacksonville experienced a high rate of pedestrian fatalities. In order to fix the problem, the city decided to give tickets to jaywalkers, rather than to speedy drivers. But police officers didn’t end up targeting unsafe intersections where accidents had occurred. Instead, they gave citations disproportionately to Black people in Black neighborhoods. Until the case of Devonte Shipman, which cast a light on the discriminatory practice, thousands of African Americans had to endure the racist “stop and frisk of the South.” ⏳⏳
The Nationalist’s Delusion — www.theatlantic.com
In this outstanding article, Adam Serwer continues the conversation where Ta-Nehisi Coates (#109) left off: that the election of Donald Trump was “less a story of working-class revolt than a story of white backlash.” Mr. Serwer argues that white people of all economic backgrounds vote for racist people and discriminatory policies, then delude themselves into thinking otherwise. Evidence: David Duke, Alexander Stephens, George Wallace, our president. Thank you to loyal subscribers Laura and Niki for alerting me to this article. ⏳⏳⏳
The Legion Lonely — hazlitt.net
For many people, the holiday season exacerbates feelings of despair and loneliness. This article explains the negative effects of social isolation, particularly on men. Given that friendships fade after we turn 25, and given that many (gay and straight) men eschew vulnerability and intimacy with other men, it is no surprise that loneliness has reached an almost epidemic status. ⏳⏳
What if You Knew Alzheimer’s Was Coming for You? — www.nytimes.com
My high school history teacher Rodger Halstead once asked, “Would you want to know the date of your death?” The question pushed us to think about how we wanted to live our lives. I was reminded of that question while reading this article on blood tests that will soon be available to predict our likelihood of getting Alzheimer’s Disease. If you had access to such a test, would you take it? Would you want to learn your fate? ⏳
This Week’s Podcast: We all know that The Highlighter likes science, and this week, not one but two science teachers enriched our show. Jonathan Wright and Philippe Vanier chatted about last week’s lead article, “Can Racism Be Stopped in the Third Grade?” They also discussed how teaching science in Salt Lake City is very different from teaching science in the Bay Area. Please enjoy the episode, tell your friends, and subscribe! (The podcast, with its seven five-star ratings, is becoming a force.)
You’ve reached the end of the 120th issue of The Highlighter! Let me know your thoughts below by giving this issue a thumbs-up or -down. Also, please welcome our new subscribers: Avi, Philippe, Justin, Jamie, Angela, Amanda, Luc, Ruth, Shannon, David, Carla, Jenn, Linda, and Nancy! Have a wonderful week, and I’ll see you again next Thursday at 9:10 am.
#20 Jonathan Wright & Philippe
Podcast Jonathan and Philippe, friends and science teacher colleagues, talk about the lead article from this week’s newsletter, “Can Racism Be Stopped in the Third Grade?” http://j.mp/2x8G8PC
#119: Can Racism Be Stopped in the Third Grade?
Hi there, and welcome to The Highlighter #119! A big welcome to all the new subscribers. Our community is growing and getting stronger! The lead article this week describes a program at a private elementary school in New York that helps third graders talk about race before it’s too late. One example of too-late is described in the second article, which centers on the journey of a white supremacist. After the photo break, read pieces about choosing your perfect baby and about listening really fast. Enjoy!
New Subscriber Contest Update: Last issue, I announced this month’s campaign to encourage 100 smart, caring, and curious people to join The Highlighter. The first week of the contest was a huge success: 37 people subscribed! Thank you to everyone who got the word out. The competition was fierce! Our first week’s winner is, drumroll, Abby P, who was responsible for 8 sign-ups. Great work, Abby P! Who is going to win this week? Even if you don’t identify as competitive, this contest is for you, particularly after you see the zany prizes you’ll receive for participating. Please tell your friends and family to check out the newsletter and subscribe here.
Can Racism Be Stopped in the Third Grade? — nymag.com
At Ethical Culture Fieldston School, a private school in the Bronx, third graders participate in a mandatory program designed to eradicate racism. Once a week, instead of engaging with issues of race as a whole class, students join affinity groups, where they discuss what it feels like to be a member of that race. Then they come back to the whole class to share out their perspectives. While this practice is fairly common among anti-racist educators, it is new for elementary school students, and some white liberal parents at the school would prefer that affinity groups go away. ⏳⏳
The Making of an American Nazi — www.theatlantic.com
I can’t seem to stop reading articles about regular white men who turn into white supremacists (#115) or white supremacists who disavow their views (#117). This profile of Andrew Anglin — founder of the Daily Stormer, a Nazi website — is not like those other pieces. This man is reprehensibly vile. Like most Alt-right trolls, Mr. Anglin combines psychopathy, sadism, narcissism, and Michaeiavellianism. But he adds to that racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, and misogyny. Mr. Anglin’s story is deeply disturbing, and though it might feel better to skip this article, I recommend reading it, trigger warnings and all. ⏳⏳⏳
Eugenics 2.0: Choosing Embryos by Health, Height, and More — www.technologyreview.com
Suppose you and your partner were pursuing in vitro fertilization and could tell which embryo had the highest likelihood of becoming the tallest, smartest, or healthiest person? Would you want to know? To choose? Though most of us say no, the technology is coming, and scientists at Genomic Prediction say that people’s views will change once offered the option of building a super baby. ⏳
Meet The People Who Listen to Podcasts Crazy-Fast — www.buzzfeed.com
In addition to my reading habit, I enjoy a good podcast or 25. Do you? Ever since Serial launched in 2014, I’ve listened to podcasts while running or driving or getting ready for the day. But by no means am I a “podfaster.” These obsessive people feel the need to listen to hundreds of hours of podcasts a week, completing episodes in order, often at rapid clips. Why listen to a recording at 1x when you can listen at 10x? ⏳
This Week’s Podcast: It was a wonderful pleasure to have my friend and loyal subscriber Sonya Wang on the show. Sonya talked about choosing the right school for her daughter, loving college football, and feeling anxious about buying a home in the Bay Area. We also chatted about “It’s Real Down Here,” last week’s article about living in the Deep South. Please listen and subscribe!
You have completed The Highlighter #119! Let me know your thoughts below by giving this issue a thumbs-up or -down. Also, please welcome our new subscribers: Christina, Kira, Genna, Jenn, Sele, Tark, Neelam, Sarai, Melanie, Mike, Robert, Kirthi, Kate, Sarah, Alysia, Chris, Shyanna, Josh, Laura, Gerald, Phillip, Tommy, Dan, Christine, Sarah, Sheila, Steve, Brigid, Leslie, Rachel, Louise, Barb, Cathy, Angad, Claire, Rachelle, and Peter! Have a wonderful week, and I’ll see you again next Thursday at 9:10 am for this year’s Thanksgiving edition.
#19: Sonya Wang
Podcast Sonya is a mom, loyal subscriber, and devotee of Oakland. On the show, we talk about choosing a school for her daughter, the stress of buying a house in the Bay Area, and her experience living in the Deep South. Please enjoy! http://j.mp/2x8G8PC