Lula’s got a link to a story that took place this weekend.

Update: here’s a collection of links to what other bloggers are saying about the incident in NYC.

AP: Black Leaders Seek End to Use of Slur

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., charged that only situations such as the Richards incident turn mainstream media attention to issues involving the black community.

”This is not simply about whether or not the black community forgives or forgets, this is about understanding that this is pervasive, that this happens in all of our institutions, one way or the other,” Waters said.

The Baltimore Sun has a piece by Leonard Pitts, Jr. called “Worse than Richards’ rant: America’s refusal to acknowledge racism” that’s worth reading. (Warning: contains potentially offensive language):

No, here’s what bothers me: If so many of my white countrymen refuse to recognize racism when it is this blatant and unmistakable, what expectation can we have that they will do so when it is subtle and covert? In other words, when it is what it usually is.

I was going to post a link to the Richards video but decided against it. If you haven’t seen it and still feel the need to, it’s easy to find. To me, though, as a learner and American in 2006, isn’t the one incident–it’s what it says about our society. Let’s focus on that in class and online for the next few weeks and see what we come up with. And please, be like Lula and keep the links coming. This stuff is everywhere.