Hey, Happy Fourth. I finally got around to “Hamilton.” It only took me five years. It’s easier to get into Harvard.
And guess what. My buddy Ishmael Reed was right. So why are brown and black actors playing the oppressors so cool?
That and a lot more on this episode.
And when you’re done, check out my columns here.
Emil goes amok…
You can listen here. Or read his columns.
Last week was a turning point week. America has found a path to renewal through George Floyd. Protests have upped the charges against the cops. The same old same old doesn’t work anymore. Violent looters can’t hijack the moral vision. Even Trump can’t reverse the trend toward reversing racism. Too bad for him. Now he can’t use racism anymore without really appearing racist. There’s no cover. And so the Republicans who have been quiet are speaking out, and ashamed. Trump is toast? Looks like it.
My guest is Filipino American history professor Daniel Phil Gonzales of San Francisco State University.
ANOTHER KIND OF TED TALK: If you’ve been following my series of talks with Philosophy Professor Ted Schatzki, you know he’s my old friend from college who I called for the first time in over 40 years when the pandemic hit. We had a reunion. Since then we’ve had 3 conversations. The first two he talked about the fear of civil unrest.
In our third conversation last week, the spark that set off the U.S. powder keg happened. The violence hadn’t started yet. But we do talk about George Floyd, among other things. The point is we talk and have a conversation, which is probably the best thing people can do with each other right now.
Also see my columns at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.