Welcome to The Highlighter #117! I’m happy you’re here. The first three articles this week — which focus on race — are in conversation with articles that have appeared previously. If you have time, consider them in tandem:
#1: “White Flight” –> “Birth of a White Supremacist” (#115)
#2: “The Gentrification of Soul Food” –> “Hot Chicken” (#88)
#3: “Slippery Slope” –> “Whose Heritage?” (#106)
The only odd duck this week comes last, and it’s a good one, too: a 30-minute adventure into the wacky world of the online mattress industry. Please enjoy! And if you’re in Oakland later today, swing by HHH #2 (last-minute tickets are still available).
White Flight — www.washingtonpost.com
Two Highlighters ago, I featured an article about a regular guy and his journey to become a white supremacist. This story is the opposite. Derek Black (here on The Daily podcast) grew up in a white supremacist household: his dad maintained Stormfront, the country’s largest white nationalist online community, and his mom was once married to David Duke (Derek’s godfather). In his teens, Derek vowed to “take the country back” and to fight against “white genocide,” a term he made popular on his radio show. Then, one day in college, classmate Matthew Stevenson, an Orthodox Jew, invited Derek to Shabbat dinner, and Derek’s transformation began. ⏳⏳
The Gentrification of Soul Food — www.highsnobiety.com
Over the past decade, “soul food” has morphed into “Southern food,” as white chefs have appropriated African American cuisine. Author Eboni Harris explains the history of soul food and its recent acceptance among white people. As a result, a type of gentrification has followed. Hip restaurants have made soul food fancy, raising prices along the way, while failing to hire African American chefs. Thank you to loyal subscriber Morenike (#114) for submitting this article. ⏳
On Dismantling Historical Monuments: The Slippery Slope Argument Is Real — www.nationalreview.com
Part of my mission at The Highlighter is to encourage this community, which is predominately liberal, to read well-written articles from a variety of viewpoints. This essay by Michael Brendan Dougherty offers a reasoned defense of Slippery Slope from a conservative perspective. After softening his reader’s skepticism, Mr. Dougherty applies Slippery Slope to the current debate on whether to topple historical monuments. ⏳⏳
The War To Sell You A Mattress Is An Internet Nightmare — www.fastcompany.com
Did you think you were doing the right thing buying a mattress from an online company like Casper so you could avoid shady salespeople at your local mattress store? Guess again. Welcome to the cutthroat world of online mattress reviewers, lucrative affiliate links, shady search engine optimization, and big-time lawsuits. This $14 billion industry is a racket all the way through. ⏳⏳
This Week’s Podcast: If you care about reading, or if you care about Oakland (or both), listen to this week’s podcast with my friend and loyal subscriber Nancy Lai. Nancy is the director of literacy at Oakland Unified School District. On the show, Nancy chatted about the importance of reading and her take on “The Ghosts of the Tsunami” (#116). Listen, rate, and subscribe!
Oh no, you’ve reached the end of The Highlighter #117. Hope you enjoyed your stay! Let me know what you thought. One easy way is by pressing R to reply. Also, please welcome new subscribers Anna, Arantxa, and Roilyn! The community is growing ever stronger because you’re getting the word out. Have a wonderful week, and I’ll see you again next Thursday at 9:10 am.