Courage Campaign | URGENT: Ask Judge Walker to televise Prop 8 trial

Posted on January 06, 2010

The landmark federal lawsuit about Prop 8, Perry v. Schwarzenegger, also known as the Olson/Boies case is about to go to trial. The presiding judge, Chief Judge Vaughn Walker is holding a hearing on whether a pool television camera should be allowed to televise the trial, given the unprecedented interest in the proceedings.

Should the Census Offer ‘Negro’ as an Identity Option? – Yahoo! News

Posted on January 26, 2010

The United States is one of the few countries that asks questions about race and ethnicity in its Census, even using the word Negro. Is it wrong to ask such things?

Vanity Fair’s “New Hollywood” issue completely lacks diversity – Fashion on Shine

Posted on February 03, 2010

One thing magazines love to do is call dibs on who will be the new “It” celebrities in the year to come. Sometimes they pick stars whose careers are destined to take off, occasionally they make incredible calls with near-nobodies who later become A-listers, and usually the majority of their picks fade into oblivion. While we’d like to think celeb bible Vanity Fair puts a great deal of thought and planning into its annual “New Hollywood” issue, this year the editors really limited their scope when it came to choosing the next big stars. (Or perhaps they overemphasized the “Fair”? ) Every woman on its new cover is extremely thin and very, very white. Unless Vanity Fair considers one redhead to be diversity, we feel the need to cry foul.

Take a stand!

Posted on February 23rd, 2010

The Allied Cultures Against Discrimination encourages you to take a personal stand against racism and discrimination! It is up to all of us to educate ourselves and those around us about the importance of tolerance and respect.

At the University of California, San Diego, there have been instances lately of racial intolerance. You can read more about it here:

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/UCSD-Students-Enraged-Over-N-Word-Broadcast—84791727.html
So take a stand! Voice your opinion against racism and prejudice. Make sure this doesn’t happen on your campus, to your friends, to you.

Contact ACAD if you wish to partake in their future publication on individual stories of discrimination. You can learn more here: http://www.alliedcultures.org/get-your-voice-heard/
Thank you from your friends at ACAD.

2 Newnan Police officers claim discrimination – The Times-Herald

Posted on February 19, 2010

Two Newnan Police Department employees have filed charges of discrimination against the city of Newnan with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

In Virginia, legalized discrimination is alive and well – washingtonpost.com

Posted on March 10, 2010

IN A MARCH 4 missive to state colleges and universities , Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) argued that the schools had overstepped their legal bounds by enacting nondiscrimination policies…

Black people must leave, NJ Walmart announcer says – Yahoo! Finance

Posted on March 18, 2010

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — A Walmart store announcement ordering black people to leave brought chagrin and apologies Wednesday from leaders of the company…

An unwilling Afghan bride’s defiance leads to death – LA Times

Posted on March 26, 2010

A child of the provinces can never run far. She should have known this. Frashta, though, was headstrong. Two shots from a hunting rifle in the night, then they rolled her in cloth and tried to hide…

ACAD is proud to announce that they have been able to provide 2 scholarships this year to current and prospective students who had personal and impacting stories with discrimination and how they are moving forward with a  respect and appreciation of diversity.

One scholarship was awarded to Pauline Yeghnazar, a prospective Phd student with an academic interest in Ethnic Studies. Her essay can be found here.

A scholarship was also granted to Robert Danielak, a Master’s student at California State University, Northridge who has taken his passion for literature to an academic plateau. His essay can be read here.

Alicia Ghiragossian, the groundbreaking poet and author of now 59 volumes of meteoric poetry once again showers us with her blazing lyrical genius. In her latest epic poem and manifesto, “An Inconvenient Genocide,” the poet shares her life-long experiences and gathered first hand wisdom as the child of Armenian genocide survivors. The work solidifies Ghiragossian’s voice as a leader among the Armenian people, who challenges the world governments to recognize the Armenian genocide as a “genocide.”

As reported by the New York Times in an article by Sabrina Tavernise and Sebnem Arsu, on April 23, 2009 Turkey and Armenia have agreed to a framework for improving their strained relations. This is a break-through in diplomacy not seen between the two countries in over a decade. However the timing of this agreement, on the eve of the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, seems specifically to be issued in order to “dampen” enthusiasm for passing a resolution in U.S Congress to recognize the Armenian killings as “genocide”.

The full article can be found at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/world/europe/24turkey.html?_r=1&ref=world

On April 7, 2009, the state of Vermont legalized gay marriage, adding themselves to the small but growing list of states that approve and recognize same sex marriage. This is a victory not just for the LGBT community, but for human rights in general. ACAD looks forward to more of these victories in the years to come!

ACAD is currently focusing on creating a book that reflects the experiences of everyday individuals when it comes to discrimination, racism and diversity.

We encourage all individuals to share a synopsis of an experience they had with the aforementioned issues. All submissions are welcome. Ideally, the synopsis will be a blurb or a series of paragraphs and should highlight the encounter one had with being discriminated against, or having discriminated. The following guidelines may be incorporated:

1. What lessons were learned from the experience, if any.
2. If the experience still resonates with the person you are today.
3. Any other information you deem useful.

You can find a sample excerpt by clicking here.

Email us at info@alliedcultures.org to get your story heard!

ACAD is now featured on www.Facebook.com under “Causes.” You can find more here: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/175335

Click on the link to check for announcements, post a topic in our discussion boards, donate and so much more!

The Allied Cultures Against Discrimination was disappointed with the outcome of the California Proposition 8, which would have continued to give same-sex couples the right to marry. The majority of voters were in favor of a ban on gay marriage, thus writing the outcome into the Constitution.  Gay rights activists are fighting this battle long past the final decision, as it surely isn’t over. ACAD continues to be active throughout this process. Contact us for resources on how to keep the effort an ongoing one in California!

ACAD was present at Valley Alternative Magnet School’s Peace Day event this June! Wendy Phelps, Owner of More is Available Coaching and Consulting gave two speeches on Conflict Resolution to groups of 6-12th graders. ACAD was proud to be part of Valley Alternative Magnet School’s efforts on peace and tolerance education!

On May 15, 2008, California’s Supreme Court reversed the ban on gay marriage, giving gay couples the right to legally marry in this state. ACAD applauds this decision, as it is a momentous day not just for gay couples, but for Humanity overall.