IBARW – International Blog Against Racim Week

A little late to the game, but. I fully intend on keeping up with this: [ link ]

I can remember being surrounded by people who, like me, cared deeply and passionately about social issues such as racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism…etc. That was back in 11th and 12th grade though, when the bubble of CORE was pretty much all I knew.

Now that I’m in college, starting my second year at CSUN, I don’t have those close ties with anyone, anymore. My allies and friends have all spread to different schools, we’re all too busy to talk on the phone or over the internet, and we were never really that close except when it came to talking in groups. I’ve even acknowledged that my activism in regards to racism has really diminished since I started at CSUN. ‘Tis pretty shameful, which is one of the reasons why I need to get back in the flames of being a ‘bleeding-heart liberal’ because let’s face it, people don’t take action until they learn enough and are angered enough to do something about it.

Interesting how I found out about this through an alternative media source: two black homeowners in Chicago are suing Wells Fargo for ‘racial bias in mortgage loans’.

After searching more thoroughly for it, I found an article on CNBC at this [ link ], which comes from a Reuters article, anyway. Then again, I’m not so surprised; Wells Fargo is a pretty powerful bank, if you know what I mean. Interesting how Countrywide also had a similar lawsuit back in June of this year. I just wonder how many more people would be willing to sue if a.) they had the money and b.) had lawyers who believed in the cause.

It really is something, the politics behind getting a home refinanced, of taking out loans, etc. I mean, when you hear that the interest rates you are paying are “a combination of an objective, risk-based calculation and a totally subjective, discretionary component,” what the hell are you supposed to think? I don’t even know what that completely means…but I do know that ‘totally subjective, discretionary component’ can’t be based on anything good.

Disgusting, the way things work because of the people in power. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for this case in the months to come…definitely don’t think it’ll become popular news material, though, which really really really makes me sad.

But. Corporations and American media sources are something I’ll save for another blog. Right now I think I’ll try and find the ‘media-monopoly Saturday Night Live skit’ that only got shown on the air once (live, at that) then completely disappeared for some obscure reason like the head of the company didn’t think it had much ‘humor’ in it. Hmm.

-b