http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-obama-advisor22-2009apr22,0,1997286.story
Noha El-Hennawy
Reporting from Cairo — Egyptians are cautiously rejoicing over the recent appointment of a veiled Egyptian American Muslim woman as an advisor to President Obama.
Dalia Mogahed, senior analyst and executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, was appointed this month to Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Arabs are closely watching for signs that the new leadership in Washington is making efforts to improve relations with Islam, which many Muslims believe were severely damaged during the eight years of the Bush administration. The selection of Mogahed is viewed by many in the Middle East as a step by Obama to move beyond the stereotypes and prejudices that Muslims believe they have encountered since the attacks Sept. 11, 2001. (more…)
Dr. Cornel West, “Has the Dream been Realized?”
Saturday, April 4th, 2009Thursday, April 2, 2009
Dr. Cornel West, Professor of Religion and African-American Studies at Princeton University, spoke to a packed crowd Foellinger Auditorium on Thursday, April 2. The event was entitled, “Has the Dream been Realized,” referring to Martin Luther King Jr’s, “I Have a Dream” speech. The Black Law Students Association and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity along with funding from the Cultural Resources Fee as well as the Student Organization Resource Fee organized the event.
Known for his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, West’s work focuses on race and class in American society. During the event, he discussed the way popular culture has skewed Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy saying, “Martin wanted you to be love struck rather than colorblind.” To deny someone’s color or their differences from oneself is to trivialize their struggle, he continued. The key to Martin Luther King Jr’s dream was to love people and embrace their humanity while taking into account their color and personal experiences. (more…)
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