5 Things That Were Going on While We Were Fussing About Brad Paisley’s “Accidental Racist”
Sorry Internet, but there are a lot more things going on in the world than your feelings about Brad Paisley’s confessional and cheesy song about being accidentally racist. I know, I didn’t believe it either. But then I googled “other things going on in the world besides that country singer person,” and like, I found relevant news that actually impacts people’s lives, the world and stuff. I’m serious.
Don’t believe me, read for yourself:
1. Major league baseball in America has all-time low for Black Americans
-USA Today
Can you name the 10 best Black American baseball players in the history of the League? I can’t but then again I don’t watch baseball. It may also be because there has been a 20-year decline in Black American participation in Major League Baseball. This season was an all time low, with just 7.7% Black American player enrollment. However, the number of Black Americans in the national sport has always been relatively low–with the record high being 27% in 1975. The Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program, created in 1989, is working to increase minority involvement in the sport, along with other programs and committees. There were also seven Black American athletes chosen for the first part of the draft season back in June–the highest enrollment since 1992. Guys, that time gap is like older than me.
2. 6-year-old shot and killed by friend
-LA Times
A 6-year-old New Jersey boy was shot and killed in the town of Toms River. The boy was killed by his 4-year-old friend who took his father’s loaded gun, walked outside and shot his friend in the head. The boy was in critical condition but later died. I’m sure this will be another pawn in the gun debate but before it is, can we at least mourn the loss of an innocent child? No matter what, two childhoods have been lost forever and an innocent life is now gone forever.
3. Nelson Mandela leaves hospital
-The Guardian
Nobel Prize laureate and South Africa’s first Black President was released from a week-long stay at the hospital on Saturday after a battle with pneumonia. The 94-year-old is an icon in the fight for human rights and equality, who has spent decades fighting the racial tensions in his country.
4. Canadian teen commits suicide
-CNN
A 17-year-old high school student in Halifax, Novia Scotia, died after a suicide attempt mid-last week. The girl was taken off life support on Sunday. The teen was allegedly gang-raped in November 2011. After the rape, a photograph of the incident was sent to friends’ cellphones. Police investigated but found “insufficient evidence,” according to a spokesperson from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, despite the fact that the release of the photo is considered child pornography in Canada. Subsequently, no charges were filed. The girl was then bullied for more than a year which ultimately led to her suicide attempt last week. On Wednesday, after meeting with family, Canadian officials said they would take a “fresh look” at the case. I’m still serious.
5. Black women have highest cancer mortality rates
-Science Daily
A recent research study has found that black women are two times more likely to die from breast cancer than white women. The study also found that black women were more likely to suffer from subtypes of cancer that were hard to treat. The study could not find why this was so.
Only Black Girl in Class 