More Than Kids

Voices of White Oakland

2/22/15

Out on the road today, I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac. - Don Henley

This is a post in progress subtitled, "Oakland: Are we really the new Brooklyn or the new Topeka?" This post accompanies three posts on my photography blog at Bryan Farley Photography. (Mayor's Lives Matter, From Me to OUSD, and one more).

I referenced a 1956 Life Magazine article on school segregation for the main blog posts title. "Voices of the White South," one of a series, revealed a more nuanced view of Southern school segregation. (Some of those historical voices might sound familiar if heard in Oakland today.) Life photographer Margaret Bourke-White documented South Carolinians for the article "Voices of The White South." You can see her colored (not black and white) pictures and read White Southerners' quotes.

When I was younger, I watched Civil Rights documentaries and wondered what I would have done had I lived during Jim Crow segregation or slavery. Would I have been an Abolitionist? Would I have risked my life for the Little Rock Nine? Now that I have two children in Oakland public schools, I continue asking how I can do the right thing.

How can you be Oaklandish and White?

 

Last month at Oakland's Mayoral Inauguration, I noticed one protestor's sign that reads, "It's not the bad apples. It's the tree." I am probably part of the problem, but I don't know if I am the apple or the root. Who are the bad apples? Who plants the seeds and where are the roots?

Where is the learning tree? 

Yesterday (2/21) was the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X. During one of his speeches to his community, he said "You can't hate the roots of a tree and not hate the tree. You can't hate your origin and not end up hating yourself." I wonder if my white Oakland brothers and sisters love their roots enough to love the tree... or do we just love a branch?

Do we love too small? Do we love our Time, Treasure and Talent more than we love Black Lives?

Question: Why do we white folks send so many of our white kids to certain OUSD schools or certain private schools? Why do we ask each other whether we should move to a different district? Why do we invest in a private school that looks a certain way? A white way?

The answer: Black Lives Matter (but read the fine print). We care how a school looks. We would rather spend 30,000 dollars on private school tuition than send a white kid to a poor urban school and spend the same 30,000 dollars at the PTA.

The grass is always whiter.

Irony is not dead, it is just lost on us middle aged folks. My 8 year old son read the irony in the above photo with the white person standing next to the black police officer on the corner. The chalk reads "No More Police." It took me months before I noticed that "Police V Ferguson, (MO)" sounds similar to "Plessy V. Ferguson."

We know our school system is unequal. We know that we do not have equity. We even relinquished the myth of equal opportunity. The Plessy V Ferguson standard is dead as is the Brown V Board standard. Perhaps the Black Lives Matter movement is necessary because some of us forgot.  

To Serve Trump

I posted something similar on LinkedIn today

 

While preparing this warning for my white liberal friends, I recalled my favorite Twilight Zone episode "To Serve Man." Aliens had arrived, apparently to save humans from themselves.  A small group of code breakers found the aliens' book, but they had only translated the book's title before people started choosing to leave earth with the aliens. As the chief code breaker boards the alien ship, his assistant yells to him, "To Serve Man. It's a cookbook."

In 2020, we should always remember something similar,  "We are not his audience. We are his cast."

While we have reduced President Trump to an orange narcissistic sexist simpleton, he has been strategizing. While we have been celebrating the selection of a strong woman of color candidate, he has been revealing his exposition, reintroducing old cast members, and defining characters. Palin is back discussing double standards. Guilfoyle is probably waiting until the second act. Joe will continue to be cast as weak in comparison to Trump or Kamala or Obama. Nancy is uncompromising and controlling. While my team argues that Trump fears strong women, Trump realizes that he needs strong women for an effective drama. He will take Kamala's strengths and turn them into her weakness. We think that she is the safe pick, but they have wanted us to think that she was safe. She isn't safe, nor are the people around her. The other side has been writing this script since she was a DA in San Francisco. 

Reality TV is a bad way to manage our government, but it is an effective way to run a Presidential campaign. It's scripted while appearing random. Trump understands how reality TV appeals to Americans. He understands the story structure and archetypes. Americans love the conflict and the serial nature of episodic challenges. Americans love exposing hypocrisy and hubris, and since humans are basically hypocritical, Trump has plenty of material... and he will have plenty of time during the next three months. Most people will believe that the next three months are unscripted, but they are not.

Is it too late to turn the Millennium Falcon around before the tractor beam catches us? Probably, but we still have a chance of predicting how this sequel might unfold. Will we be distracted when Team Trump says something sexist and racist? Of course, but with our one week history of appointing women of color as Vice Presidential running mates, we might want to be careful about judging Republicans.

First, it's a distraction.

Secondly, if we don't live in the same glass house as the Republicans, we're in the same segregated neighborhood. (reminder, this is especially for my white liberal friends.)

While I don't have special information about the details, I know the story. It's a sequel, and it rhymes. For example, when McDonald's sued their former CEO for inappropriate consensual behavior with employees a day before Biden announced Kamala, I assumed that this was an early general election attack. I could be completely wrong, but it fits the story. Since the Harris announcement, there has been more chatter from the Trump side linking sexual harassment to Kamala's opinions. This is all part of the exposition.

(To be fair to McDonald's, my LinkedIn contact and author Rob Chestnut complimented the company's integrity for exposing the CEO. On the other hand, Vanity Fair's William Cohan said on CNBC that it "wouldn't have taken much investigation to discover" in the initial inquiry the previous year. I would encourage you to read the Board bio's and search their SEC political contribution reports to see if McDonald's was trying to help Biden/Harris. Both possibilities fit the story.)

Back to the main story line.

Eventually, Senator and Candidate Harris will be asked what she thinks about the McDonald's CEO. Someone will ask Biden too. (Maybe Trump will turn a Russian debate question in something for Biden to answer about McDonald's. The reporters will say it is stupid and random, but we will be talking about McDonald's.) Maybe Trump will be asked a similar question by a friendly reporter. Soon, this will be a news story. If the McDonald's story doesn't stick, there will be another similar story, because there will always be another similar story for politicians to answer about whether CEO's should be allowed to have intimate secret relationships with staff members.

In 2020, mostly everyone will say no.

Both campaigns will highlight Kamala's questioning of Kavanaugh. (By the way, I thought she asked the single best question of the hearing, but that is not the point of this post.) She will be asked whether she believes survivors. (By the way, I do too.)

Kamala will be applauded or lambasted for her tough debate performance with Biden for something that happened decades ago. 

Kamala will be asked to explain her criticism of Mike Pence. What was ridiculous about Pence's boundaries? (In case you forgot.) Her answer was fine, but she was never asked the difficult follow up.

"Why were you so tough on Pence for not having private meetings with staffers since 2002, but you let Gavin Newsom slide in 2005?"

By the way, I don't know Kamala's real answer to what happened 2005. This will be the real conflict of the campaign and where it will start to get interesting. Gavin is to Kamala as Bill was to Hillary. The Democrats lost 2016, because we did not resolve what happened during the Clinton Administration... and we still haven't. We could lose this election because of something that happened in San Francisco during 2005.

If only we had some dramatic elements to create some conflict.

What would you say if Gavin had been married to Donald Trump Jr's current girlfriend? And what would you say if that girlfriend was also a former San Francisco DA and daughter of two immigrants... and what if she had been a long time Fox News Contributor? What if the current Speaker of the House was also from San Francisco when Gavin was mayor? What if Gavin's current wife was a women's rights advocate and filmmaker? And what if this year were the 100th anniversary of that time when white women bailed on women of color while fighting for the right to vote. I haven't even mentioned Willie Brown until now.

Trump was never going to run on a strong economy with drama like this.

I believe in Kamala's ability to handle difficult questions about Gavin, but I doubt that my white liberal friends will really have Kamala's back when the answers get difficult. When the story turns on Gavin, our party will be exposed again, and I hope that my white liberal friends get in formation and don't turn the clock back 100 years when the white women marched without the women of color. Don't just have Kamala's back. Take the lead.

That's why, I am going to say it now. Gavin has got to go.

As one of the first male Women's Studies majors in the country, I have wondered if it has been my obligation to say something louder and earlier. He does not get a free pass, because he went to rehab and discovered "toxic masculinity?" I am also trying to be realistic. When I warned about Clinton and later about the 2016 election, I was mostly ignored. Perhaps someone will feel supported or empowered when reading this one day. We can't allow our own party leaders to violate societal norms, and then be shocked when the Harvey Weinstein's continue preying on subordinates. We can pretend that Gavin is not a problem, but it will always be a problem.

In 1994, I worked for Walter Capps and his congressional campaign. I learned from Walter that men could run for office and demonstrate integrity. Walter eventually lost that race by less than 1%, but he still took a progressive stand on LGBT issues when few others in the party would. Because of Walter's integrity, I felt comfortable leaving the Peace and Freedom Party and becoming a Democrat. As I am becoming older, I want a candidate that I can trust. Is it time for me to leave and join Romney and Kasich (or Tepper?)

We must stop being the party of Gavin and Bill. If we don't, not only will we lose another election, we will have lost our way forward. I don't want us to miss representation in DC again. I want us to have the first woman Vice President. After the election, I want reporters to ask, "Who will Eleni Kounalakis appoint to replace Kamala?"

 

Photo Composition Rules

I have already written about my three favorite rules of composition, but I want to create a new list of composition rules so that my photography students can choose their own favorites. In no particular order, here are some photo composition guidelines.

 

1. Rule of Odds

For some reason, when there are an odd number of objects in a picture, the picture looks better. I learned this concept from landscaping. When planting, use 1, 3, or 5 of the same plant, color or shape. Above, I am illustrating the rule of odds with this picture of three yellow posts in front of the orchard from Fresno County's Blossom Trail.

 

2. Repetition and Pattern.

 

In early February of 2020, I was walking through Manhattan with my 16 year old daughter. We saw this scene outside Nello on Madison Avenue. There is a repetition of color and shape. If you look closely, you can see red throughout this picture. In the foreground, you can see the red clearly. If you look to the far right upper corner, you can also see the red in the street parking sign. 

There is also a repetition of shapes with the bears and hearts and rectangles.

 

Isolating the Subject

Simplicity and Minimalism

Groundhog Day at the Iowa Caucus

Four years ago, I wrote this about Trump on the night of the Iowa debate before the Iowa Caucus.

 

The Night The Press Loses Debate To Trump

I did not think I would become a Trump fan, but it has happened. This does not mean that I will vote for him, but I appreciate him the way I would if John Stewart and Sacha Baron Cohen created a satire on the United States Presidential campaign. Trump's campaign is a mirror that keeps reflecting.

 

Somehow, I could see the rest of the 2016 Presidential campaign unfolding, although I thought the Republicans would eventually stand up to Trump. As of today, minutes before the 2020 Iowa Caucus starts, Republicans have not openly questioned his "perfect call."

Maybe I do know what is going to happen this time, despite all the candidates and confusion. I don't see how Biden loses. I imagine that he will chose Harris or Stacy Abrams as a running mate. Bernie is stronger than I thought, and he has done better despite the heart attack. I wanted to like Harris and Booker and Warren, but I don't think that they are strong enough to win the primary or the Presidency.

Four years ago, I ran through a list of all the candidates and how the election would unfold. I am not interested in predicting the outcome, and if I am not interested, I don't think the rest of the party cares either... and I think that is important. I think that most voters will eventually choose Biden, because it makes sense. Does it make sense? I don't know. Four years ago, I said that Bernie could never win. Perhaps he could win now. Maybe Bloomberg?

It's Biden. He escapes Iowa. He escapes New Hampshire. When he starts winning in South Carolina by a lot (and maybe Nevada), it could be over... although it will go on forever or until March, when the book and Super Tuesday happen.

btf

I did not think I would become a Trump fan, but it has happened. This does not mean that I will vote for him, but I appreciate him the way I would if John Stewart and Sacha Baron Cohen created a satire on the United States Presidential campaign. Trump's campaign is a mirror that keeps reflecting.

 

Somehow, I could see the rest of the 2016 Presidential campaign unfolding, although I thought the Republicans would eventually stand up to Trump. As of today, minutes before the 2020 Iowa Caucus starts, Republicans have not openly questioned his "perfect call."

Maybe I do know what is going to happen this time, despite all the candidates and confusion. I don't see how Biden loses. I imagine that he will chose Harris or Stacy Abrams as a running mate. Bernie is stronger than I thought, and he has done better despite the heart attack. I wanted to like Harris and Booker and Warren, but I don't think that they are strong enough to win the primary or the Presidency.

Four years ago, I ran through a list of all the candidates and how the election would unfold. I am not interested in predicting the outcome, and if I am not interested, I don't think the rest of the party cares either... and I think that is important. I think that most voters will eventually choose Biden, because it makes sense. Does it make sense? I don't know. Four years ago, I said that Bernie could never win. Perhaps he could win now. Maybe Bloomberg?

It's Biden. He escapes Iowa. He escapes New Hampshire. When he starts winning in South Carolina by a lot (and maybe Nevada), it could be over... although it will go on forever or until March, when the book and Super Tuesday happen.

btf

More Than Kids - ADA 29

The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law 29 years ago today. 

 

Seven years ago, I published a photo blog post. I also must have posted a column on the Epilepsy Foundation eCommunity site (I don't see an active link any more).

 

On this site, I posted on the 21st anniversary. I wrote, 

ADA Turns 21

President George Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act twenty one years ago. The ADA is often called the most important civil rights legislation of the last few decades. President Obama's Presidential Proclamation illustrates the legislation's popularity. Even while Democrats and Republicans argue about the country's economic future, a Democratic President will honor legislation signed by a Republican President.  

 

Today I searched through the Twitter feeds of the Presidential candidates. Some of the candidates mentioned the anniversary and some mentioned that it was important, but nobody released a plan for solving the problems. I think it was a missed opportunity. 

President George Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act twenty one years ago. The ADA is often called the most important civil rights legislation of the last few decades. President Obama's Presidential Proclamation illustrates the legislation's popularity. Even while Democrats and Republicans argue about the country's economic future, a Democratic President will honor legislation signed by a Republican President.  

Carnaval San Francisco Photos

Last month I photographed another Carnaval San Francisco Grand Parade. Here is the Carnaval lineup.

 

I created a photo gallery that I posted at the end, but there were many other great moments that I wanted to share somewhere.

 

To be able to photograph the parade, I need to arrive several hours early. I often park around 7:30. I arrived before the food trucks.

I also enjoy photographing the performers before the parade starts, but I usually photograph the other photographers.

 

I even take pictures of the photographers sharing their images.

 

I may have selected this image of San Francisco's mayor London Breed for my final gallery. There are a couple similar though, so this might have been an extra.

 

This could have been a good picture. I would not have selected it if I did not have this site. I am not trying to be clever here. I don't really like posed pictures, but I liked the two men in the background. I took a couple pictures of them. I probably could have taken some good posed pictures of these two, but I don't shoot that way.

This photo reminds me that I have taken better photos. Here is a reminder from 2013.

It rained.

The woman with feathers looked like a mother of dragons (in a pleasant way).

I am pretty sure that Taylor Swift stole these innertubes 

While we waited, some of the groups, mingled.

Did I mention that it rained?

I saw this group the previous year at the far end of the parade route. They changed their name this year.

 

 

 

This is a decent photo... maybe I should go back and include it.

See links below.

 

Carnaval Photos

 

Parade Lineup